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sity  of  California 
thern  Regional 
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presented  to  the 
UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO 

by 


Mr.  Richard  B.   Miller 


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3   1822  01307  9553 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/fiveweeksinballoOOvern 


The  animal  attempts,  in  vpin,  to  cut  himself  loose. 


[Frontispiece^ 


FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON; 


JOUENEYS    AND    DISCOVERIES    IN    AFRICA 
BY    THREE    ENGLISHMEN. 


COMPILED    IN    FRENCH 


By    JULES    VERNE, 


FROM  THE  ORIuIKlL  EOTES  OF  DR.  FERGUSOI. 


AND    DONE    INTO    ENGLISH   BY 


"WILLIAM     LACKLAND." 


WITH    I  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


NEW    YORK: 

HURST    &    CO.,    PUBLISHERS, 

NO.    122    NASSAU    STREET, 


GNT2BUD,  ftccording  to  Ad  of  Congress,  In  the  j  'air  1989,  bj 

D.  APPI^TON  &  CO., 

u  lie  Clerk's  Office  ot  the  District  Court  of  the  United  Statei  tor  tM 

Southern  Disirict  of  New  York. 


ARGYLE    PRESS, 

Printing  and  Bookbindinci, 

84  il  16  WOOST&R  ST.,  N.  Y. 


PUBLISHERS'    NOTE. 


"  Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon  "  is,  in  a  measure,  a  satire  on 
modern  books  of  African  travel.  So  far  as  the  geography, 
the  inhabitants,  the  animals,  and  the  features  of  tlie  coun- 
tries the  travellers  pass  over  are  described,  it  is  entirely 
accurate.  It  gives,  in  some  particulars,  a  survey  of  nearly 
the  whole  field  of  African  discovery,  and  in  this  way  will 
often  serve  to  refresh  the  memory  of  the  reader.  The  mode 
of  locomotion  is,  of  course,  purely  imaginary,  and  the  inci- 
dents and  adventures  fictitious.  The  latter  are  abundantly 
amusing,  and,  in  view  of  the  wonderful  "  travellers'  tales  " 
with  w^hich  we  have  been  entertained  by  African  explorers, 
they  can  scarcely  be  considered  extravagant  ;  while  the  inge- 
nuity and  invention  of  the  author  will  be  sure  to  excite  the 
surprise  and  the  admiration  of  the  reader,  who  will  find 
M.  Verne  as  much  at  home  in  voyaging  through  the  air  as  in 
journeying  "  Twenty  Thousand  Leagues  under  the  Seas." 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEB  FEEST. 

The  Knd  of  a  much-applauded  Speech.— The  Presentation  of  Dr.  Samuel  Feiga* 
Bon. — Excelsior. — Full-length  Portrait  of  the  Doctor. — A  Fatalist  convinced. 
—A  Dinner  at  the  Travellers'  Club.— Several  Toasts  for  the  Occasion      paob  9 

CHAPTEE  SECOND, 

The  Article  in  the  DaUy  Telegraph.— War  between  the  Scientific  Journals.— 
Mr.  Petermann  backs  his  Friend  Dr.  Ferguson.— Reply  of  the  Savant  Eoner. 
—Bets  made.— Sundry  Propositions  offered  to  the  Doctor  .  .       18 

CHAPTEB  THIED. 

The  Doctor's  Friend. — The  Origin  of  their  Friendship. — Dick  Kennedy  at  Lon 
don. — An  unexpected  but  not  very  consoling  Proposal. — A  Proverb  by  no 
means  cheering. — A  few  Names  from  the  African  Martyrology.- The  Advan 
tages  of  a  Balloon.— Dr.  Ferguson's  Secret  .....       39 

CHAPTEE  FOUBTH. 

African  Explorations.- Barth,  Richardson,  Overweg,  Weme,  Brun-RoUet,  Pen- 
ney, Andrea,  Debono,  Miani,  Guillaume  Lejean,  Bruce,  Krapf  and  Bebmann, 
Maizan,  Roscher,  Burton  and  Speke  ......       81 

CHAPTEB  FIFTH. 

Kennedy's  Dreams. — Articles  and  Pronouns  in  the  Plural. — Dick's  Insinuations. 
— A  Promenade  over  the  !^^ap  of  Africa. — What  is  contained  between  two 
Points  of  the  Compass. — Expeditions  now  on  foot. — Speke  and  Grant. — Krapf. 
Be  Decken,  and  De  Heuglin      .......       87 

CHAPTEB  SIXTH. 

A  Servant— match  n.m  1— He  can  see  tke  Satellites  of  Jupiter.— Dick  and  Joe 
hard  at  It.— Doubt  and  Faith.— The  Weighing  Ceremony. — Joe  and  Welling- 
ton.—He  gets  a  Half-crown       ...  ...       44 

A* 


4  ooNTSxns. 

CHAPTEB  SEVENTH. 

G^metrlcal  Details.— Calculation  of  the  Capacity  of  the  Balloon.— The  Donble 
Recepucle.— The  Coyering.— The  Car.— The  Mysterioufl  Apparatxifl.— Th« 
PiotIbIoub  and  Stores.— The  Final  Somming  up       .  .  .       TA.at  60 


CHAPTEB  EIGHTH. 

Joe>  Importance.— The  Commander  of  the  Resolute.— Kennedy's  Arsenal.— Mu- 
tual Amenities.— The  Farewell  Dinner.- Departure  on  the  2lBt  of  February .— 
The  Doctor's  Scientific  Seseions.— Dnveyrier.— Livingstone.- Details  of  the 
A£riAl  Voyage. — Kennedy  silenced     ......       68 


CHAPTEB  NINTH. 

They  double  the  Cape.— The  Forecastle.— A  Course  of  Cosmography  by  Pro- 
fessor  Joe.— Concerning  the  Method  of  guiding  Balloons.— How  to  seek  out 
Atmospheric  Currents.- Eureka         ......       6S 


CHAPTEB  TENTH. 

Former  Experiments.— The  Doctor's  Five  Receptacles.— The  Gas  Cylinder.— 
The  Calorifere.- The  System  of  Manoeuvring.— Success  certain  .       69 


CHAPTEB  ELEVENTH. 

The  Arrival  at  Zanzibar.— The  English  ConsuL— IH-wUl  of  the  Inhabitints.- The 
Island  of  Konmbeni.- The  Rain-Makers.— Inflation  of  the  Balloon.— Depart- 
ure on  the  18lh  of  April.— The  last  Qood-by.— The  Victoria         .  .       W 


CHAPTEB  TWELFTH. 

Crossing  the  Strait.- The  Mrima.— Dick's  Remark  and  Joe's  PropopUlon.- A 
Recipe  for  Cofl"ee-making.— The  Uzaramo.— The  Unfortunate  Maizan.— 
Mount  DuthumL— The  Doctor's  Cards.— Night  under  a  Nopal  .       81 

CHAPTEB  THIBTEENTH. 

Clumge  of 'Weather.- Kennedy  has  the  Fever.— The  Doctor's  Medicine.- Travel* 
on  Land.  -The  Basin  of  Imeng6.— Mount  Rubeho.— Six  Thousand  Feet  Ee- 
Tmtlon.— A  Halt  in  the  Daytime  ......       fU 

•CHAPTEB  FOUETEENTH. 

The  Forest  of  Gum-Trees.- The  Blue  Antelope.— The  Rallying-Slgn»V- -An  Un- 
expected Attack.— The  Kanyeme.— A  Night  in  the  Open  Air.— The  Maban- 
goro.— Jihouela-Mkoa.— ASupply  of  Water.- Arrivalat  Kaaeb  .       tt 


COIirTENTS.  » 

CHAPTEE  FEFTEENTH. 

Kareh.— The  NolBy  Market-place.— The  Appearance  of  the  Balloon.— The  Wan- 
gaga. — The  SoEB  of  the  Moon. — The  Doctor's  Walk. — The  Popnlation  of  the 
Flace.— The  Royal  Temhe.— The  Saltan's  Wives.— A  Eoyal  Dronken-Bout. — 
Joe  an  Object  of  Worship.- How  they  Dance  in  the  Moon.— A  Reaction. — 
Two  Moons  in  one  Sky.— The  Instability  of  Divine  Honors  .      pagk  109 

CHAPTEE  SIXTEENTH. 

Symptoms  of  a  Storm.- The  Country  of  the  Moon.— The  Futnre  of  the  African 
(Continent.— The  Last  Machine  of  all.— A  View  of  the  Conntry  at  Sunset- 
Flora  and  Fauna.— The  Tempest.- The  Zone  of  Fire.— The  Starry  Heavens. 

131 

CHAPTEE  SEVENTEENTH, 

The  Mountains  of  the  Moon.— An  Ocean  of  Verdure.— They  cast  Anchor.— Tha 
Towing  Elephant.— A  Running  Fire.— Death  of  the  Monster.- The  Field 
Oven.— A  Meal  on  the  Grass.- A  Night  on  the  Ground    ...       181 

CHAPTEE  EIGHTEENTH. 

The  Karagwah.— Lake  Uk6r€ou6.— A  Night  on  an  Island. — The  Equator.— 
Crossing  the  Lake.— The  Cascades.- A  View  of  the  Country. — The  Sourcet 
of  the  Nile.— The  Island  of  Benga.— The  Signature  of  Andrea  Debono. — The 
Flag  vrlth  the  Arms  of  England        ......       141 

CHAPTEE  NINETEENTH, 

The  NUe. — The  Tremhlins^  Mountaui. — A  Remembrance  of  the  Country. — The 
Narratives  of  the  Arabs.- The  Nyam-Nyams. — Joe's  Shrewd  Cogitations. — 
The  Balloon  runs  the  Gantlet. — ASrostatic  Ascensions.— Madame  Blanchard, 

15a 

CHAPTEE  TWENTIETH, 

rhe  Celestial  Bottle.— The  Fig-Palms.— The  Mammoth  Trees.- The  Tree  of  Wai. 
—The  Winged  Team.— Two  Native  Tribes  in  Battle.— A  Massacre.- An  In- 
tervention from  above  .......       1S8 

CHAPTEE  TWENTT-FIE8T. 

Strange  Sounds.  —A  Night  Attack.— Kennedy  and  Joe  in  the  Tree.— Two  Shots. 
— "  Help  1  help  1  "—Reply  in  French.— The  Morning.— The  Missionary.- The 
Plan  of  Bescae  ........       16S 

CHAPTEE  TWENTY-SECOND. 

The  Jet  of  Ll^ht.- The  Missionary.- The  Rescue  in  a  Ray  of  Electricity.- A 
Lazarist  Priest.- But  little  Hope.- The  Docur's  Care,— A  Life  of  Self  D*- 
bIaL— Pasaiug  a  Volcano  .......       171 


0  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTSE  TWENTY-THIRD. 

Joe  in  a  Fit  of  Rage.  —The  Dsath  of  a  Good  Man.— The  Night  of  watching  by  th« 
Bodi'.— Barrenneaa  and  Drought.— The  Burial.— The  Qaartz  Rocks. — .Joe'i 
Hallucinations.- A  Precious  Ballast.— A  Survey  of  the  Gold-bearing  Moun- 
tains.— The  Beginning  of  Joe's  Despair  ....    paob  18S 

CHAPTER  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

The  Wind  dies  away.— The  Vicinity  of  the  Desert.- The  Mistake  in  the  Water- 
Supply.— The  Nights  of  the  Equator.— Dr.  Ferguson's  Anxieties.— The  Sit- 
uation flatly  stat-scL— Energetic  Replies  of  Kennedy  and  Joe.— One  Night 
more        ......  ...       193 

CHAPTER  TWENTH-FIFTH. 

A  Little  Philosophy.- A  Cloud  on  the  Horizon.— In  the  Midst  of  a  Fog.— The 
Strange  Balloon.— An  Exact  View  of  the  Victoria.— The  Palm-Trees. — Traces 
of  a  Caravan.— The  Well  in  the  Midst  of  the  Desert         .  .  .       201 

CHAPTER  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirteen  Degrees. — The  Doctor's  Reflections. — A  Desperado 
Search.— The  Cylinder  goes  out.— One  Hundred  and  Twenty-two  Degrees. — 
Contemplation  of  the  Desert.- A  Night  Walli.— Solitude.— Debility. — Joe's 
Prospects.  —He  gives  himself  One  Day  more        ....       208 

CHAPTER  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

Terrific  Heat.— Hallucinations.— The  Last  Drops  of  Water. — Nights  of  Despair. 
An  Attempt  at  Suicide. — The  Simoom.— The  Oasis.— The  Lion  and  Lioness. 

21f 

CHAPTER  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

An  Evening  of  Delight. — Joe's  Culinary  Performances. — A  Dissertation  on  Raw 
Meat. — The  Narrative  of  James  Brace. — Camping  out. — Joe's  Dreams. — The 
Barometer  begins  to  fall.— The  Barometer  rises  again. — Preparations  for 
Departure.— The  Tempest      .......       229 

CHAPTER  TWENTY-NINTH. 

Blgns  of  Vegetation.- The  Fantastic  Notion  of  a  French  Author.— A  Magnificent 
Country.— The  Kingdom  of  Adamova. — The  Explorations  of  Speke  and  Bur- 
ton connected  with  those  of  Dr.  Barth. — The  Atlantika  Mountains.— The 
Biver  Benoue.— The  City  of  Yola.— The  Bagel6.— Mount  Mendif         .       229 

CHAPTER  THIRTIETH. 

ICoefeia.— The  Sheik.— Denhara,  Clapperton,  and  Oudney.— VogeL— The  Capital 
of  Loggoum.— Toole.— Becalmed  above  Kemak  —The  Governor  and  hisCoart. 
— Tt  e  Attiick.— The  Incendiary  Pigeons     .....       2M 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  THIETT-FIEST. 

Depattare  In  the  Night-time.— All  Three. — Kennedy's  Instincts. — Prccantions. — 
The  Course  of  the  Shari  River.— Lake  Tchad.— The  Water  of  the  Lake.— The 
Hippopotamus.- One  Bullet  thrown  away       ....    paqb  346 

CHAPTEE  THIRTY-SECOND. 

The  Capital  of  Bomou. — The  Islands  of  the  Biddiomahs.- The  Condors. — The 
Doctor's  Anxieties. — His  Precautions. — An  Attack  in  Mid-air. — The  Balloon 
Covering  torn,  —The  Fall.— Sublime  Self-Sacrifice.— The  Northern  Coast  of 
the  Lake  .....  ....       251 

CHAPTER  THIRTT-THIED. 

Conjecturps  — Reestablishment  of  the  Victoria's  Equilibrium.- Dr.  Ferguson's 
New  Calculations.— Kennedy's  Hunt.— A  Complete  Exploration  of  Lake 
Tchad.— Tangalia.— The  Return.- Lari 258 

CHAPTER  THIRTY-FOURTH. 

The  HuiTicane. — A  Forced  Departure. — Loss  of  an  Anchor.— Melancholy  Reflec- 
tions.- The  Resolution  adopted.— The  Sand-Storm.— The  Buried  Caravan.— 
A  Contrary  yet  Favorable  Wind.— The  Return  southward.— Kennedy  at  hla 
Post 266 

CHAPTER  THIRTY-FIFTH. 

What  happened  to  Joe.— The  Island  of  the  Biddiomahs.— The  Adoration  shown 
him.— The  Island  that  sank.- The  Shores  of  the  Lake.— The  Tree  of  the  Ser 
pents.— The  Foot-Tramp.— Terrible  Suffering.— Mosquitoes  and  Ants.— 
Hunger. — The  Victoria  seen. — She  disappears. — The  Swamp. — One  Last 
Despairing  Cry  .........       279 

CHAPTER  THIRTY-SIXTH. 

A  Throng  of  People  on  the  Horizon.— A  Troop  of  Arabs.- The  Pursuit— It  is 
He.— Fall  from  Horseback.- The  Strangled  Arab.— A  Ball  from  Kennedy.— 
Adroit  Manoeuvres.- Caught  up  flying. — Joe  saved  at  last         .  .       288 

CHAPTER  THIRTY-SEVENTH. 

The  Western  Route. — Joe  wakes  up.- His  Obstinacy.— End  of  Joe's  Narrative. 
— Tagelei.— EV^nnedy's  Anxieties.- The  Route  to  the  North.— A  Night  neat 
Aghades  .  .  ...  ...       290 

CHAPTER  THIRTY- EIGHTH. 

A  Rapid  Passage.— Prudent  Resolves.— Caravans  in  Sight.— Incessant  Rains.— 
Gtoa.— The  Niger.— Qolberry,  Qeoffroy,  and  Gray.— Mungo  Park.- Latng.— 
Ren6  CailUfi  — Clapperton — John  and  Richard  Lander    .  .  .       307 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  THIRTY-NINTH, 

The  Ooniitry  In  the  Elbow  of  the  Nij?er.— A  Fantastic  View  <>f  the  Homborl  Moon* 
tains.— Kabra.—Timbiictoo.— The  Chart  of  Dr.  Barth.— A  Decaying  City.— 
milthor  Heaven  wills  .......        fase  806 

CHAPTER  FORTIETH. 

Dr.  PerguBon's  Anxietlee. — Pereistent  MoTement  Bonthward. — A  Cload  of 
GrasBhoppera.— A  View  of  Jennfi.— A  View  of  Segc— Change  of  the  Wind.— 
Joti'B  Regrets     ......  ,  819 

CHAPTER  FORTY-FEBST. 

The  Approaches  to  Senegal.— The  Balloon  sinks  lower  and  lower.— They  keep 
throwing  ont,  throwing  out. — The  Marabout  AJ-Hadji. — Messrs.  Pascal, Vin- 
cent, and  Lambert.— A  Rival  of  Mohammed. — The  DiflBcult  Mountains.— Ken- 
nedy's Weapons. — One  of  Joe's  Manoeuvres. — A  Halt  over  a  Forest    .       817 

CHAPTER  FORTY-SECOND. 

A  Struggle  of  Generosity.— The  Last  Sacrifice.— The  Dilating  Apparatus.— Joe'B 
Adroitness. — Midnight. — The  Doctor's  Watch. — Kennedy's  Watch.— The  Lat- 
ter falls  asleep  at  his  Post.— The  Fire.— The  Howlings  of  the  Natives.— Out 
of  Range  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       o2fl 

CHAPTER  FORTY-THIRD. 

The  Talabas.- The  Pursuit.- A  Devastated  Country.— The  Wind  begins  to  fill 
—The  Victoria  sinks.— The  last  of  the  Provisions.- The  Leaps  of  the  Bal- 
loon.—A  Defence  with  Fire-arms.— The  Wind  freshens.- The  Senegal  River. 
—The  Cataracts  of  Gouina.— The  Hot  Air.- The  Passage  of  the  River       881 

CHAPTER  FORTY-FOUBTH. 

OoncluBlon.— The  Certificate.- The  French  Settlements.— The  Post  of  Medina.— 
The  Basilic —Saint  Louis.— The  English  Frigate.— The  Eetura  to  London. 

M 


FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 


CnAPTER   FIRST. 

The  End  of  a  mnch-applaaded  Speech. — The  Preaentation  of  Dr.  Samnel  Ferg^ 
Bon.— Excelsior. — Fall-length  Portrait  of  the  Doctor.— A  Fatal'st  couTinced 
—A  Dinner  at  the  Trayellera'  Clnb.— Several  Toasts  for  the  Occasion. 

TnKEK  was  a  large  audience  assembled  on  the  14th  of 
January,  1862,  at  the  session  of  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society,  No.  3  Waterloo  Place,  London.     The  president. 

Sir  Francis  M ,  made  an  important  communication  to 

his  colleagues,  in  an  address  that  was  frequently  inter- 
rupted by  applause. 

This  rare  specimen  of  eloquence  terminated  with  the 
following  sonorous  phrases  bubbling  over  with  patriotism : 

"  England  has  always  marched  at  the  head  of  nations  " 
(for,  the  reader  -will  observe,  the  nations  always  march  at 
the  head  of  each  other),  "  by  the  intrepidity  of  her  ex- 
plorers in  the  line  of  geographical  discovery."  (General 
assent).  "  Dr.  Samuel  Ferguson,  one  of  her  most  glorious 
sons,  will  not  reflect  discredit  on  his  origin."  ("  No,  in- 
deed !"  from  all  parts  of  the  hall.) 

"  This  attempt,  should  it  succeed  "  ("  It  will  succeed  I "), 
"  will  complete  and  link  together  the  notions,  as  yet  dis- 
jointed, which  the  world   entertains   of  African   cartel 


10  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A  BALLO0X9. 

ogy"  (veLement  applause);  "and,  should  it  fail,  it,  will, 
at  least,  remain  on  record  as  one  of  the-  most  daring 
conceptions  of  human  genius  I "     (Tremendous  cheering.) 

*'  Huzza  1  huzza  I "  shouted  the  immense  audience, 
completely  electrified  by  these  inspiring  words. 

*'  Huzza  for  the  intrepid  Ferguson  !  "  cried  one  of  the 
most  excitable  of  the  enthusiastic  crowd. 

The  wildest  cheering  resounded  on  all  sides ;  the  name 
of  Ferguson  was  in  every  mouth,  and  we  may  safely  be- 
lieve that  it  lost  nothing  in  passing  through  English 
throats.     Indeed,  the  Lall  fairly  shook  with  it. 

And  there  were  present,  also,  those  fearless  travellers 
and  explorers  whose  energetic  temperaments  had  borne 
them  through  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  many  of  them 
grown  old  and  worn  out  in  the  service  of  science.  All 
had,  in  some  degree,  physically  or  morally,  undergone  the 
sorest  trials.  They  had  escaped  shipwreck ;  conflagration ; 
Indian  tomahawks  and  war-clubs  ;  the  fagot  and  the 
stake ;  nay,  even  the  cannibal  maws  of  the  South  Sea 
Islanders.       But  still  their  hearts  beat  hisrh  during  Sir 

Francis  M 's  address,  which  certainly  was  the  finest 

oratorical  success  that  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of 
London  had  yet  achieved. 

But,  in  England,  enthusiasm  does  not  stop  short  with 
mere  words.  It  strikes  ofi"  money  faster  than  the  dies  of 
the  Royal  Mint  itself  So  a  subscription  to  encourage  Dr. 
Ferguson  was  voted  there  and  then,  and  it  at  once  at- 
tained the  handsome  amount  of  two  thousand  five  hundrei 
pounds.  The  sum  was  made  commensurate  with  the 
importance  of  the  enterprise. 

A  member  of  the  Society  then  inquired  of  the  presi- 
dent whether  Dr.  Ferguson  was  not  to  be  officially  intro- 
duced- 

"  The  doctor  is  at  the  disposition  of  ihe  meeting,"  r» 
plied  Sir  Francis. 


DR.    rKEGUSON.  11 

"  Let  him  come  in,  then  I  Bring  him  in  1 "  shouted  the 
audience.  "  We'd  like  to  see  a  man  of  such  extraordinary 
daring,  face  to  face ! " 

"  Perhaps  this  incredible  proposition  of  his  is  only 
intended  to  mystify  us,"  growled  an  apoplectic  old  ad- 
miraL 

"Suppose  that  there  should  turn  out  to  be  no  such 
person  as  Dr.  Ferguson  ?  "  exclaimed  another  voice,  with 
a  malicious  twang. 

"Why,  then,  we'd  have  to  invent  onel"  replied  a 
facetious  member  of  this  grave  Society. 

"  Ask  Dr.  Ferguson  to  come  in,"  was  the  quiet  remark 
of  Sir  Francis  M . 

And  come  in  the  doctor  did,  and  stood  there,  quite 
unmoved  by  the  thunders  of  applause  that  greeted  his 
appearance. 

He  was  a  man  of  about  forty  years  of  age,  of  medium 
height  and  physique.  His  sanguine  temperament  was  dis- 
closed in  the  deep  color  of  his  cheeks.  His  coxmtenance 
was  coldly  expressive,  with  regular  features,  and  a  large 
nose — one  of  those  noses  that  resemble  the  prow  of  a  ship, 
and  stamp  the  faces  of  men  predestined  to  accomplish 
great  discoveries.  His  eyes,  which  were  gentle  and  intel- 
ligent, rather  than  bold,  lent  a  peculiar  charm  to  his  phys- 
iognomy. His  arms  were  long,  and  his  feet  were 
planted  with  that  solidity  which  indicates  a  great  pedes- 
trian. 

A  calm  gravity  seemed  to  surround  the  doctor's  entire 
person,  and  no  one  would  dream  that  he  could  become  the 
agent  of  any  mystification,  however  harmless. 

Hence,  the  applause  that  greeted  him  at  the  outset 
continued  until  he,  with  a  friendly  gesture,  clfdmed  silence 
on  his  own  belialf.  He  stepped  toward  the  seat  that  had 
been  prepared  for  hun  on  his  presentation,  and  then, 
atanding  erect   and   motionless,   he,   with    a   determined 

B 


12  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A   BAIXOOIT. 

glance,  pointed  his  right  forefinger  upward,  and  pro- 
nounced aloud  the  single  word — 

"Excelsior!" 

Never  had  one  of  Bright's  or  Cobden's  sudden  on- 
slaughts, never  had  one  of  Palmerston's  abrupt  demands 
for  funds  to  plate  the  rocks  of  the  English  coast  with  iron, 

made  such  a  sensation.      Sir  Francis  M 's  address  was 

completely  overshadowed.  The  doctor  had  shown  himself 
moderate,  sublime,  and  self-contained,  in  one ;  he  had  ut- 
tered the  word  of  the  situation — 

"Excelsior!" 

The  gouty  old  admiral  who  had  been  finding  fault,  waa 
completely  won  over  by  the  singular  man  before  him,  and 
immediately  moved  the  insertion  of  Dr.  Ferguson's  speech 
in  "  The  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society 
of  London." 

"Who,  then,  was  this  person,  and  what  was  the  enter- 
prise that  he  proposed  ? 

Ferguson's  father,  a  brave  and  worthy  captain  in  the 
English  Navy,  had  associated  his  son  with  him,  from  the 
young  man's  earliest  years,  in  the  perils  and  adventures  of 
his  profession.  The  fine  little  fellow,  who  seemed  to  have 
never  known  the  meaning  of  fear,  early  revealed  a  keen 
and  active  mind,  an  investigating  intelligence,  and  a  re- 
markable turn  for  scientific  study ;  moreover,  he  disclosed 
uncommon  address  in  extricating  himself  from  difiiculty ; 
he  was  never  perplexed,  not  even  in  handling  his  fork  for 
the  first  time — an  exercise  in  which  children  generally 
have  so  little  success. 

His  fancy  kindled  early  at  the  recitals  he  read  of  dar- 
ing enterprise  and  maritime  adventure,  and  he  followed 
with  enthusLismthe  discoveries  that  signalized  the  first  part 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  mused  over  the  glory  of  the 
Mimgo  Parks,  the  Bruces,  the  Caillies,  the  Levaillants, 
and  to  some  extent,  I  verily  believe,  of  Selkirk  (Robinson 


iKKTOH    OF    DE.    FEEGTJ80N.  13 

Crusoe),  whom  he  considered  in  no  wise  inferior  to  the 
rest.  How  many  a  well-employed  hour  he  passed  with 
that  hero  on  his  isle  of  Juan  Fernandez !  Often  he  criti- 
cised the  ideas  of  the  shipwrecked  sailor,  and  sometimes 
discussed  his  plans  and  projects.  He  would  have  done 
diflerently,  in  such  and  such  a  case,  or  quite  as  well  at 
least — of  that  he  felt  asstired.  But  of  one  thing:  he  was 
satisfied,  that  he  never  should  have  left  that  pleasant  isl- 
and, where  he  was  as  happy  as  a  Mng  without  subjects — 
no,  not  if  the  inducement  held  out  had  been  promotion  to 
the  first  lordship  in  the  admiralty ! 

It  may  readily  be  conjectured  whether  these  tendencies 
were  developed  during  a  youth  of  adventure,  spent  in 
every  nook  and  comer  of  the  Globe.  Moreover,  his  father, 
who  was  a  man  of  thorough  instruction,  omitted  no  op- 
portunity to  consolidate  this  keen  intelligence  by  serious 
studies  in  hydrography,  physics,  and  mechanics,  along 
with  a  slight  tincture  of  botany,  medicine,  and  astronomy. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  estimable  captain,  Samuel  Fer- 
guson, then  twenty-two  years  of  age,  had  already  made 
his  voyage  around  the  world.  He  had  enlisted  in  the 
Bengalese  Corps  of  Engineers,  and  distinguished  himself 
in  several  affairs ;  but  this  soldier's  life  had  not  exactly 
suited  hira ;  caring  but  little  for  command,  he  had  not  been 
fond  of  obeying.  He,  therefore,  sent  in  his  resignation, 
and  haK  botanizing,  half  playing  the  hunter,  he  made 
his  way  toward  the  north  of  the  Indian  Peninsula,  and 
crossed  it  from  Calcutta  to  Surat — a  mere  amateur  trip  for 
him. 

From  Surat  we  see  him  going  over  to  Australia,  and 
in  1845  participating  in  Captain  Sturt's  expedition,  which 
had  been  se^.t  out  to  explore  the  new  Caspian  Sea,  sup- 
posed to  exist  in  the  centre  of  New  Holland. 

Samuel  Ferguson  returned  to  England  about  1850, 
and,  more  than  ever  possessed  by  the  demon  of  diseovery, 


14  FIVB  WEEKS   ra   A   BALLOON. 

he  spent  the  intervening  time,  until  1853,  in  accompany 
ing  Captain  McClure  on  the  expedition  that  went  around 
the  American  Continent  from  Behring's  Straits  to  Cape 
Farewell. 

Notwithstanding  fatigues  of  every  description,  and  in 
all  climates,  Ferguson's  constitution  continued  marvellous 
ly  sound.  He  felt  at  ease  in  the  midst  of  the  most  com- 
plete privations ;  in  fine,  he  was  the  very  type  of  the 
thoroughly  accomplished  explorer  whose  stomach  expands 
or  contracts  at  will ;  whose  limbs  grow  longer  or  shorter 
according  to  the  resting-place  that  each  stage  of  a  journey 
may  bring ;  who  can  fall  asleep  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or 
awake  at  any  hour  of  the  night. 

Nothing,  then,  was  less  surprising,  after  that,  than  to 
find  our  traveller,  in  the  period  from  1855  to  1857,  visiting 
the  whole  region  west  of  the  Thibet,  in  company  with  the 
brothers  Schlagiatweit,  and  bringing  back  some  curious 
ethnographic  observations  from  that  expedition. 

During  these  difierent  journeys,  Ferguson  had  been 
the  moat  active  and  interesting  correspondent  of  the 
Daily  Telegraphy  the  penny  newspaper  whose  circulation 
amounts  to  140,000  copies,  and  yet  scarcely  suffices  for  its 
many  legions  of  readers.  Thus,  the  doctor  had  become 
,vell  known  to  the  public,  although  he  could  not  claim 
membership  in  either  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Societies 
of  London,  Paris,  Berlin,  Vienna,  or  St.  Petersburg,  or 
yet  with  the  Travellers'  Club,  or  even  the  Royal  Poly- 
technic Institute,  where  his  friend  the  statistician  Cock 
bum  ruled  in  state. 

The  latter  savant  had,  one  day,  gone  so  far  as  to  pro- 
pose to  him  the  following  problem :  Given  the  number  of 
milf^s  travelled  by  the  doctor  in  making  the  circuit  of  the 
Globe,  how  many  more  had  his  head  described  than  his 
feet,  by  reason  of  the  difierent  lengths  of  the  radii  ? — or, 
the  number  of  miles  traversed  by  the  doctor's  head  and 


THE  ENGLISHMAN  AT  GENEVA.  15 

N'ei  respectively  being  given,  required  the  exact  height 
of  that  gentleman  ? 

This  was  done  with  the  idea  of  complimenting  him, 
but  tho  doctor  had  held  himself  aloof  from  all  the  learned 
bodies — belonging,  as  he  did,  to  the  chiu-ch  militant  and 
net  to  the  church  polemical.  He  found  his  time  better 
employed  in  seeking  than  in  discussing,  in  discovering 
rather  than  discoursing. 

There  is  a  story  told  of  an  Englishman  who  came  one 
day  to  Geneva,  intending  to  visit  the  lake.  He  was  placed 
in  one  of  those  odd  vehicles  in  which  the  passengers  sit 
side  by  side,  as  they  do  in  an  omnibus.  Well,  it  so  hap- 
pened that  the  Englishman  got  a  seat  that  left  him  with 
his  back  turned  toward  the  lake.  The  vehicle  completed 
its  circular  trip  without  his  thinking  to  turn  around  once, 
and  he  went  back  to  London  delighted  with  the  Lake  of 
Geneva. 

Doctor  Ferguson,  hovvever.  had  turned  around  to  look 
about  him  on  his  jou^nl;ying^,  and  turned  to  such  good 
purpose  that  he  haa  seeii  a  great  deal.  In  doing  so,  he 
had  simply  obeyed  the  laws  of  his  nature,  and  we  have 
good  reason  to  believe  that  he  was,  to  some  extent,  a  fatal- 
ist, but  of  an  orthodox  school  of  fatalism  withal,  that  led 
him  to  rely  upon  himself  and  even  upon  Providence.  He 
claimed  that  he  was  impelled,  rather  than  drawn  by  his 
own  volition,  to  journey  as  he  did,  and  that  Ue  traversed 
the  world  like  the  locomotive,  which  does  not  direct  itself, 
but  is  guided  and  directed  by  the  track  it  runs  on. 

"  I  do  not  follow  my  route ; "  he  often  said,  "  it  is  my 
route  that  follows  me." 

The  reader  will  not  be  surprised,  then,  at  the  calmness 
with  which  the  doctor  received  the  applause  that  wel- 
comed him  in  the  Royal  Society.  He  was  above  all  such 
trifles,  having  no  pride,  and  less  vanity.  He  looked  upon 
the  proposition  addressed  to  bun  by  Sir  Francia  M— —  ai 


16  FIVE    WEEKS    IN   A   BALLOOJS. 

the  simplest  thing  in  the  world,  and  scarcely  notijea  ..he 
immense  elfect  that  it  produced. 

When  the  session  closed,  the  doctor  was  escorted  to 
the  rooms  of  the  Travellers'  Club,  in  Pall  Mall.  A  superb 
entertainment  had  been  prepared  there  in  his  honor.  The 
dimensions  of  the  dishes  served  were  made  to  correspon 
with  the  importance  of  the  personage  entertained,  and  the 
boiled  sturgeon  that  figured  at  this  magnificent  repast  was 
not  an  inch  shorter  than  Dr.  Ferguson  himself. 

Numerous  toasts  were  ofiered  and  quafied,  in  the  wines 
of  France,vto  the  celebrated  travellers  whohadmade  their 
names  illustrious  by  their  explorations  of  African  terri- 
tory.   The  guests  drank  to  their  health  or  to  their  memory, 
in  alphabetical  order,  a  good  old  English  way  of  doing  the 
thing.     Among  those  remembered  thus,  were :  Abbadie, 
Adams,  Adamson,   Anderson,  Arnaud,  Baikie,  Baldwin, 
Barth,  Batouda,  Beke,   Beltram,   Du   Berba,   Bimbachi, 
Bolognesi,  Bolwik,  Belzoni,  Bonnemain,  Brisson,  Browne, 
Bruce,  Brun-Rollet,  Burchell,  Burckhardt,  Burton,  Cail- 
laud,  Caillie,  Campbell,  Chapman,  Clapperton,  Clot-Bey, 
Colomieu,   Courval,   Cumming,    Cuny,  Debono,  Decken, 
Denham,  Desavanchers,  Dicksen,  Dickson,  Dochard,  Du 
Chaillu,  Duncan,  Durand,  Duroule,  Duveyrier,  D'Escay- 
ac,  De  Lauture,  Erhardt,  Ferret,  Fresnsl,  Galinier,  Galton, 
Geoffroy,    Golberry,   Hahn,   Halm,    Harnier,    Hecquart, 
Heuglin,    Hornemann,    Houghton,    Imbert,    Kauffmann, 
Knoblecher,  Krapf,  Kummer,  Lafargue,  Laing,  Lafaille, 
Lambert,  Larairal,  Lampri5re,  John  Lander,  Richard  Lan- 
der, Lefebvre,  Lejean,Levaillant,  Livingstone,  MacCarthy, 
Maggiar,  Maizan,  Malzac,  Mofiat,  Mollien,  Monteiro,  Mor 
rison,  Mungo  Park,  ISTeimans,  Overwey,  Panet,  Partarrieau, 
Pascal,  Pearse,  Peddle,  Peney,  Petlierick,  Poncet,  Prax. 
Raffenel,  Rabh,  Rebmaun,  Richardson,  Riley,  Ritohey, 
Rochet  d'Hericourt,  Rongiiwi,  Roscher,  Ruppel,  Sangnier, 
Speke,  Steidner,  Thibaud,  Thompson,  Thornton,  Toole, 


ATKIOAN   EIPLOEEKS.  17 

Tousny,  Trotter,  Tuckey,  Tyrwhitt,  Vaudey,  Veyssi^re, 
Vincent,  Vinco,  Vogel,  Wahlberg,  "Warrington,  Washing- 
ton, Werne,  Wild,  and  last,  but  not  least,  Dr.  Ferguson, 
who,  by  his  incredible  attempt,  was  to  link  together  the 
achievements  of  all  these  explorers,  and  complete  the  series 
of  African  discovery. 


.  CHAPTER    SECOND. 

Tb»  Article  In  the  DaUy  Telegraph.— War  between  the  Sdentiflc  JoumalB.— 
Mr.  Petermann  backs  his  Friend  Dr.  Fergusoc— Keply  of  the  SayantKoner 
—Beta  made.— Sundry  Propositions  offered  to  the  Doctor. 

On  the  next  day,  in  its  number  of  January  15th,  the 
Daily  Telegraph  published  an  article  couched  in  the  fol- 
lowing terms : 

"  Africa  is,  at  length,  about  to  surrender  the  secret 
of  her  vast  solitudes ;  a  modern  OEdipus  is  to  give  us  the 
key  to  that  enigma  which  the  learned  men  of  sixty  centu- 
ries have  not  been  able  to  decipher.  In  other  days,  to 
seek  the  sources  of  the  Nile — -fontes  Nili  qucerere — was 
regarded  as  a  mad  endeavor,  a  chimera  that  could  not  be 
realized. 

"  Dr.  Barth,  in  following  out  to  Soudan  the  track  traced 
^y  Denham  and  Clapperton ;  Dr.  Livingstone,  in  multiply- 
ing his  fearless  explorations  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
to  the  basin  of  the  Zambesi ;  Captains  Burton  and  Speke, 
in  the  discovery  of  the  great  interior  lakes,  have  opened 
three  highways  to  modern  civilization.  Their  point  of  in- 
tersection, which  no  traveller  has  yet  been  able  to  reach,  is 
the  very  heart  of  Africa,  and  it  is  thitlier  that  all  efforts 
should  now  bo  directed. 

"The  labors  of  these  hardy  pioneers  of  science  are  now 
ubout  to  be  knit  together  by  the  daring  j)roject  of  Dr. 
Samuel  Ferguson,  whose  fine  explorations  our  readers 
have  frequently  had  the  opportunity  of  appreciating. 

*v'',i«  iutrepid  discoverer   proposes  to  traverse  all 


NOTES    OF    PKEPARATIOIU  19 

Africa  from  east  to  west  in  a  balloon.  If  we  are  well 
infonned,  the  point  of  departure  for  this  surprising  journey 
is-:to  be  the  island  of  Zanzibar,  upon  the  eastern  coast. 
As  for  the  point  of  arrival,  it  is  reserved  for  Providence 
alone  to  designate. 

"  The  proposal  for  this  scientific  undertaking  was  ofii 
cially  made,  yesterday,  at  the  rooms  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  and  the  sum  of  twenty-five  hundred 
pounds  was  voted  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  enterprise. 

"  We  shall  keep  our  readers  informed  as  to  the  prog- 
ress of  this  enterprise,  which  has  no  precedent  in  the  an- 
nals of  exploration." 

As  may  be  supposed,  the  foregoing  article  had  an 
enormous  echo  among  scientific  people.  At  first,  it  stirred 
up  a  stonn  of  incredulity ;  Dr.  Ferguson  passed  for  a 
Durely  chimerical  personage  of  the  Barnum  stamp,  who, 
after  having  o-one  through  the  United  States,  proposed  to 
**  do  "  the  British  Isles. 

A  humorous  reply  appeared  in  the  February  number 
Df  the  Bulletins  de  la  Societ'e  G'eographique  of  Geneva, 
which  very  -wittily  showed  up  the  Royal  Society  of  Lon- 
don and  their  phenomenal  sturgeon. 

But  Herr  Petermann,  in  his  Mitthcilungen,  published 
at  Gotha,  reduced  the  Geneva  journal  to  the  most  absolut 
silence.     Herr  Petermann  knew  Dr.  Ferguson  personally, 
and  guaranteed  the  intrepidity  of  his  dauntless  friend. 

Besides,  all  manner  of  doubt  was  quickly  put  out  of 
the  question :  preparations  for  the  trip  were  set  on  foot  at 
London ;  the  factories  of  Lyons  received  a  heavy  order  for 
the  silk  required  for  the  body  of  the  balloon ;  and,  finally, 
the  British  Government  placed  the  transport-ship  Reso- 
lute^ Captain  Bennett,  at  the  disposal  of  the  expedition. 

At  once,  upon  word  of  all  this,  a  thousand  encourage- 
ments were  oflered,  and  felicitations  came  pouring  in  from 
all  quarters.     The  details  of  the  undertaking  were  pub 


20  FITE   WEEKS    IN   A    BAI.L(X)W. 

lislied  in  full  in  the  bulletins  of  the  Geographical  Society 
of  Paris ;  a  remarkable  article  appeared  in  the  N'ouvePea 
Annales  des  Voyages,  de  la  Geographie,  de  VHistoire,  et 
de  V Archmologie  de  M,  V.  A.  Malte-Brun  ("  New  Ainals 
of  Travels,  Geography,  History,  and'  Archasology,  by 
M.  V.  A.  Malte-Brun  ") ;  and  a  searching  essay  in  the  Zeit- 
schrift  fUr  Allgemeine  Erdknnde,  by  Dr.  "W.  Koner,  tri- 
umphantly demonstrated  the  feasibility  of  the  journey,  its 
chances  of  success,  the  nature  of  the  obstacles  existing, 
the  immense  advantages  of  the  aerial  mode  of  locomotion, 
and  found  fault  with  nothing  but  the  selected  point  of  de- 
parture, which  it  contended  should  be  Maasowah,  a  small 
port  in  Abyssinia,  whence  James  Bruce,  in  1768,  started 
upon  his  explorations  in  search  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile. 
Apart  from  that,  it  mentioned,  in  terms  of  unreserved  ad- 
miration, the  energetic  character  of  Dr.  Ferguson,  and  the 
heart,  thrice  panoplied  in  bronze,  that  could  conceive  and 
undertake  such  an  enterprise. 

The  North  American  Review  could  not,  without  some 
lispleasure,  contemplate  so  much  glory  monopolized  by 
England.  It  therefore  rather  ridiculed  the  doctor's  scheme, 
and  urged  him,  by  all  means,  to  push  his  explorations  as 
far  as  America,  while  he  was  about  it. 

In  a  word,  without  going  over  all  the  journals  in  the 
vrorld,  there  was  not  a  scientific  publication,  from  the 
Tovrnal  of  Evangelical  Missions  to  the  lievue  Algkrienne 
<f  Coloniale,  from  the  Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la 
Foi  to  the  Church  Missionary  Intelligencer,  that  had  not 
something  to  say  about  the  affair  in  all  its  phases. 

Many  large  bets  were  made  'xt  Jjondon  and  throughout 
England  generally,  first,  as  to  the  real  or  supposititious 
existence  of  Dr.  Ferguson  •,  secondly,  as  to  the  trip  itself, 
which,  some  contended,  woul'l  not  be  undertaken  at  all, 
and  which  was  really  contemplated,  according  to  others ; 
thirdly,  upo"  tV  success  or  failure  of  the  enterpriBCj  and 


THE    DOCrrrtR    LIONIZED.  21 

fourthly,  upon  the  probabilities  of  Dr,  Ferguson's  return. 
The  betting-books  were  covered  with  entries  of  immense 
sums,  as  though  the  Epsom  races  were  at  stake. 

Thus,  believers  and  unbelievers,  the  learned  and  the 
ignorant,  alike  had  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  doctor,  and  he 
became  the  lion  of  the  day,  without  knowing  that  he  car- 
ried such  a  mane.  On  tis  part,  he  willingly  gave  the 
most  accurate  information  touching  his  project.  He  was 
very  easily  approached,  being  naturally  the  most  affable 
man  m  the  world.  More  than  one  bold  adventurer  pre- 
sented himself,  offering  to  share  the  dangers  as  well  as  the 
glory  of  the  undertaking ;  but  he  refused  them  all,  without 
giving  his  reasons  for  rejecting  them. 

Numerous  inventors  of  mechanism  applicable  to  the 
guidance  of  balloons  came  to  propose  their  systems,  but 
he  would  accept  none ;  and,  when  he  was  asked  whether 
he  had  discovered  something  of  his  own  for  that  purpose, 
he  constantly  refused  to  give  any  explanation,  and  merely 
busied  hlmoelf  more  actively  than  ever  with  the  prepara- 
tions for  his  journey. 


CnAPTER  THIRD. 

The  Doctor's  Friend.— The  Origin  of  their  Friendship.— Dick  Kennedy  at  Lott- 
don.— An  unexpected  but  not  very  consoling  Proposal.— A  Proverb  by  no 
means  cheering. — A  few  Names  from  the  African  Martyrology. — The  Advan- 
tages of  a  Balloon.— Dr.  Ferguson's  Secret. 

Dk,  Feeguson  had  a  friend — not  another  self,  indeed, 
an  alter  ego,  for  friendship  could  not  exist  between  two 
beings  exactly  alike. 

Bat,  if  they  possessed  different  qualities,  aptitudes,  and 
temperaments,  Dick  Kennedy  and  Samuel  Ferguson  lived 
with  one  and  the  same  heart,  and  tliat  gave  them  no  great 
trouble.     In  fact,  quite  the  reverse. 

Dick  Kennedy  was  a  Scotchman,  in  the  full  acceptation 
of  the  word — open,  resohite,  and  headstrong.  He  lived 
in  the  town  of  Leith,  which  is  near  Edinburgh,  and,  in 
truth,  is  a  mere  suburb  of  Auld  Reekie.  Sometimes  he 
was  a  fisherman,  but  he  was  always  and  everywhere  a  de- 
termined hunter,  and  that  was  nothing  remarkable  for  a 
son  of  Caledonia,  who  had  known  some  little  climbing 
among  the  Highland  mountains.  He  was  cited  as  a  won 
derful  shot  with  the  rifle,  since  not  only  could  he  split  a 
bullet  on  a  knife-blade,  but  he  could  divide  it  into  two 
such  equal  parts  that,  upon  weighing  them,  scarcely  any 
difference  would  be  perceptible. 

Kennedy's  countenance  strikingly  recalled  that  of  Her 
bert  Glendinning,  as  Sir  Walter  Scott  has  depicted  it  in 
"The  Monastery";  his  stature  was  above  six  feet;  full  of 
grace  and  easy  movement,  be  yet  seu^ujed  giiled  with  her 


DICK   KENNEDY.  23 

culean  strength ;  a  face  embrowned  by  the  sun ;  eyes  keen 
and  black ;  a  natural  air  of  daring  courage ;  in  fine,  some- 
thing sound,  solid,  and  reliable  In  his  entire  person,  spoke, 
at  first  glance,  in  favor  of  the  bonny  Scot. 

The  acquaintanceship  of  these  two  friends  had  been 
formed  in  India,  when  they  belonged  to  the  same  regi- 
ment. While  Dick  would  be  out  in  pursuit  of  the  tiger 
and  the  elephant,  Samuel  would  be  in  search  of  plants  and 
bisects.  Each  coiild  call  himself  expert  in  his  own  prov- 
ince, and  more  than  one  rare  botanical  specimen,  that  to 
science  was  as  great  a  victory  won  as  the  conquest  of  a 
pair  of  ivory  tusks,  became  the  doctor's  booty. 

Tliese  two  young  men^  moreover,  never  had  occasion 
to  save  each  other's  lives,  or  to  render  any  reciprocal  ser- 
vice. Hence,  an  unalterable  friendship.  Destiny  some- 
times bore  them  apart,  but  sympathy  always  united  them 
again. 

Since  their  return  to  England  they  had  been  frequent- 
ly separated  by  the  doctor's  distant  expeditions ;  but,  on 
his  return,  the  latter  never  failed  to  go,  not  to  ask  for 
hospitality,  but  to  bestow  some  weeks  of  his  presence  ai 
the  home  of  his  crony  Dick. 

The  Scot  talked  of  the  past;  the  doctor  busily  pre- 
pared for  the  future.  The  one  looked  back,  the  other  for- 
ward. Hence,  a  restless  spirit  personified  in  Fergusot ; 
perfect  calmness  typified  in  Kennedy — such  was  the  con- 
trast. 

After  his  journey  to  the  Thibet,  the  doctor  had  re- 
mained nearly  two  years  without  hinting  at  new  explora- 
tions; and  Dick,  supposing  that  his  friend's  instinct  foi 
travel  and  thirst  for  adventure  had  at  length  died  out, 
was  perfectly  enchanted.  They  would  have  ended  badly, 
some  day  or  other,  he  thought  to  himself ;  no  matter  what 
experience  one  has  with  men,  one  does  not  travel  always 
with  impunity  among  cannibals  and  wild  beasts.  So, 
2  0 


24  FIVE    WEEKS   IN"   A   BALLOON. 

Kennedy  Lesought  the  doctor  to  tie  up  his  hark  for  life, 
having  done  enough  for  science,  and  too  much  for  the 
gratitude  of  men. 

The  doctor  contented  himself  with  making  no  reply  to 
this.  He  remained  absorbed  in  his  own  reflections,  giving 
himself  up  to  secret  calculations,  passing  his  nights  among 
heaps  of  figures,  and  making  experiments  with  the  stran- 
gest-looking machinery,  inexplicable  to  everybody  but  him- 
self. It  could  readily  be  guessed,  though,  that  some  great 
thought  was  fermenting:  in  his  brain. 

"What  can  he  have  been  planning?"  wondered  Ken- 
nedy, when,  in  the  month  of  January,  his  friend  quitted 
him  to  return  to  London. 

He  found  out  one  morning  when  he  looked  into  the 
Daily  Telegraph. 

"  Merciful  Heaven  ! "  he  exclaimed,  "the lunatic!  the 
madman !  Cross  Africa  in  a  balloon !  Nothing  but  that 
was  wanted  to  cap  the  climax!  That's  what  he's  been 
bothering  his  wits  about  these  two  years  past ! " 

Now,  reader,  substitute  for  all  these  exclamation  points, 
as  many  ringing  thumps  with  a  brawny  fist  upon  the  table, 
and  you  have  some  idea  of  the  manual  exercise  that  Dick 
went  through  while  he  thus  spoke. 

When  his  confidential  maid-of-all-work,  the  aged  El- 
speth,  tried  to  insinuate  that  the  whole  thing  might  be  a 
hoax — 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it ! "  said  he.  "  Don't  I  know  my  man  ? 
Isn't  it  just  like  him?  Travel  through  the  air!  There, 
now,  he's  jealous  of  the  eagles,  next!  No!  I  warrant 
you,  he'll  not  do  it !  I'll  find  a  way  to  stop  him !  He  ! 
why  if  they'd  let  him  alone,  he'd  start  some  day  for  the 
mof'E  I" 

On  that  very  evening  Kennedy,  half  alarmed,  and  half 
exasperated,  took  the  train  for  London,  where  he  arrived 
next  morning. 


THE   WEATHFtlL   DIOBL  25 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  later  a  cab  deposited  him  at 
the  door  of  the  doctor's  modest  dwelling,  in  Soho  Square, 
Greek  Street.  Forthwith  he  bounded  up  the  steps  and 
announced  his  arrival  with  five  good,  hearty,  sounding 
raps  at  the  door. 

Ferguson  opened,  in  person. 

"  Dick !  you  here  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  but  with  no  great 
expression  of  surprise,  after  all 

"Dick  himself! "  was  the  response. 

"What,  my  dear  boy,  you  at  London,  and  this  the 
mid-season  of  the  winter  shooting  ?  " 

"  Yes !  here  I  am,  at  London ! " 

"  And  what  have  you  come  to  town  for  ?  " 

"  To  prevent  the  greatest  piece  of  folly  that  ever  waa 
conceived." 

"  Folly ! "  said  the  doctor. 

"  Is  what  this  paper  says,  the  truth  ? "  rejoined  Ken 
nedy,  holding  out  the  copy  of  the  Daily  Telegraphy  men- 
tioned above. 

"  Ah  I  that's  what  you  mean,  is  it  ?  These  newspapers 
are  great  tattlers  I     But,  sit  down,  my  dear  Dick." 

"  No,  I  won't  sit  down ! — Then,  you  really  intend  to 
attempt  this  journey  ?  " 

"  Most  certainly !  all  my  preparations  are  getting  along 
finely,  and  I — " 

"  Where  are  your  traps  ?  Let  me  have  a  chance  at 
them  !  I'll  make  them  fly !  I'll  put  your  preparations  in 
fine  order."  And  so  saying,  the  gallant  Scot  gave  way  to 
a  genuine  explosion  of  wrath. 

"  Come,  be  calm,  my  dear  Dick  1 "  resumed  the  doctor. 
"  You're  angry  at  me  because  I  did  not  acquaint  you  with 
my  new  project." 

"  He  calls  this  his  new  project ! " 

"  I  have  been  very  busy,"  the  doctor  went  on,  without 
heeding  the  interruption ;  "  I  have  had  so  much  to  look 


26  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A  BALLOON 

after  I     But  rest  assured  that  I  should  not  have  starteii 
without  writing  to  you." 

"  Oh,  indeed  1  I'm  highly  honored. " 

"  Because  it  is  my  intention  to  take  you  with  me." 

Upon  this,  the  Scotchman  gave  a  leap  that  a  wild  goat 
would  not  have  been  ashamed  of  among  his  native  craga. 

"Ah  1  really,  then,  you  wanb  thaia  to  send  us  both  tc 
Bedlam  I " 

"  I  have  counted  positively  upon  you,  my  dear  Dick, 
and  I  have  picked  you  out  from  all  the  rest." 

Kennedy  stood  speechless  with  amazement. 

"  After  listening  to  me  for  ten  minutes,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, "  you  will  thank  me  1 " 

"  Are  you  speaking  seriously  ?  " 

"Very  seriously." 

"  And  suppose  that  I  refuse  to  go  with  you  ?  " 

"  But  you  won't  refuse." 

"  But,  suppose  that  I  were  to  refuse  ?  " 

"  Well,  I'd  go  alone." 

"  Let  us  sit  down,"  said  Kennedy,  "  and  talk  without 
excitement.  The  moment  you  give  up  jesting  about  it, 
we  can  discuss  the  thing." 

"  Let  us  discuss  it,  then,  at  breakfast,  if  you  have  no 
objections,  my  dear  Dick." 

The  two  friends  took  their  seats  opposite  to  each  other, 
at  a  little  table  with  a  plate  of  toast  and  a  huge  tea-um 
before  them. 

"My  dear  Samuel,"  said  the  sportsman,  "your  project 
IS  insane  1  it  is  impossible  !  it  has  no  resemblance  to  any- 
thing reasonable  or  practicable  ! " 

"  That's  for  us  to  find  out  when  we  shall  have  tried 
it!" 

"  But  trying  it  is  exactly  what  you  ought  not  to  at- 
tempt." 

**  Why  BO,  if  you  please  ?  '* 


THE   AHQUMESn.  27 

«  Well,  the  risks,  the  difficulty  of  the  thing.** 

"As  for  difficulties,"  replied  Ferguson,  in  a  serious 
tone,  "  they  were  made  to  be  overcome ;  as  for  risks  and 
dangers,  who  can  flatter  himself  that  he  is  to  escape  them  ? 
Every  thing  in  life  involves  danger ;  it  may  even  be 
very  dangerous  to  sit  down  at  one's  own  table,  or  to 
put  one's  hat  on  one's  own  head.  Moreover,  we  must 
look  upon  what  is  to  occur  as  having  already  occurred 
»nd  see  nothing  but  the  present  in  the  future,  for  the 
future  is  but  the  present  a  little  farther  on." 

"  There  it  is ! "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  with  a  shrug. 
"  As  great  a  fatalist  as  ever  1 " 

"  Yes  I  but  in  the  good  sense  of  the  word.  Let  us  not 
trouble  ourselves,  then,  about  what  fate  has  in  store  for  us, 
and  let  us  not  forget  our  good  old  English  proveib :  *  The 
man  who  was  bom  to.  be  hung  will  never  be  drowned  1 ' " 

There  was  no  reply  to  make,  but  that  did  not  prevent 
Kennedy  from  resuming  a  series  of  arguments  which  may 
oe  readily  conjectured,  but  which  were  too  long  for  us  to 
repeat. 

"  Well,  then,"  he  said,  after  an  hour's  discussion,  "  if 
70U  are  absolutely  determined  to  make  this  trip  across  the 
African  continent — if  it  is  necessary  for  your  happiness, 
why  not  pursue  the  ordinary  routes  ?  " 

"  Why  ? "  ejaculated  the  doctor,  growing  animated. 
'*  Because,  all  attempts  to  do  so,  up  to  this  time,  have 
utterly  failed.  Because,  from  Mungo  Park,  assassinated 
on  the  Niger,  to  Vogel,  who  disappeared  in  the  Wadai 
country ;  from  Oudney,  who  died  at  Murmur,  and  Clap- 
perton,  lost  at  Sackatou,  to  the  Frenchman  Maizan,  who 
was  cut  to  pieces ;  from  Major  Laing,  killed  by  the  Toua- 
regs,  to  Roscher,  fi-om  Hamburg,  massacred  in  the  begin- 
ning of  1860,  the  names  of  victim  after  victim  have  been 
mscribed  on  the  lists  of  African  martyrdom  !  Because,  to 
contend  auccessfully  against  the  elements ;  against  hungOA 


28  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A   BALLOON. 

and  thii-st,  and  fever ;  against  savage  beasts,  and  still  more 
savage  men,  is  impossible  !  Because,  what  cannot  be  done 
in  one  way,  should  be  tried  in  another.  In  fine,  because 
what  one  cannot  pass  through  directly  in  the  middle,  must 
be  passed  by  going  to  one  side  or  overhead  ! " 

"If  passing  over  it  were  the  only  question!"  inter 
posed  Kennedy ;  "  but  passing  high  up  in  the  air,  doctor, 
there's  the  rub  ! " 

"  Come,  then,"  said  the  doctor,  "  what  have  I  to  fear  V 
You  will  admit  that  I  have  taken  my  precautions  in  such 
manner  as  to  be  certain  that  my  balloon  will  not  fall ;  but, 
should  it  disappoint  me,  I  should  find  myself  on  the  ground 
in  the  normal  conditions  imposed  upon  other  explorers. 
But,  my  balloon  will  not  deceive  me,  and  we  need -make 
no  such  calculations." 

"  Yes,  but  you  must  take  them  into  view." 

"No,  Dick.  I  intend  not  to  be  separated  from 
the  balloon  until  I  reach  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 
With  it,  every  thing  is  possible ;  without  it,  I  fall  back 
into  the  dangers  and  difficulties  as  well  as  the  natural  ob- 
stacles that  ordinarily  attend  such  an  expedition :  with  it, 
neither  heat,  nor  torrents,  nor  tempests,  nor  the  simoom, 
nor  unhealthy  climates,  nor  wild  animals,  nor  savage  men, 
are  to  be  feared!  If  I  feel  too  hot,  I  can  ascend;  if  too 
cold,  I  can  come  down.  Should  there  be  a  mountain,  I  can 
pass  over  it ;  a  precipice,  I  can  sweep  across  it ;  a  river,  I  can 
sail  beyond  it ;  a  storm,  I  can  rise  away  above  it ;  a  torrent, 
I  can  skim  it  like  a  bird  !  I  can  advance  without  fatigue, 
I  can  halt  without  need  of  repose  !  I  can  soar  above  the 
nascent  cities !  I  can  speed  onward  with  the  rapidity  of  a 
tornado,  sometimes  at  the  loftiest  heights,  sometimes  only  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  soil,  while  the  map  of  Africa  unrolla 
itself  beneath  my  gaze  in  the  great  atlas  of  the  world," 

Even  the  stubborn  Kennedy  began  to  feel  moved,  and 
yet  the  spectacle  thus  conjured  up  before  him  gave  hiia  the 


THE   DOCTOK   BANGUINE.  29 

vertigo.  He  riveted  his  eyes  upon  the  doctor  with  won- 
der and  admiration,  and  yet  with  fear,  for  he  ah-eady  felt 
himself  swinging  aloft  in  space. 

"  Come,  come,"  said  he,  at  last.  "  Let  us  see,  Samuel 
Then  you  have  discovered  the  means  of  guiding  a  hal- 
loon  ?  " 

"  Not  by  any  means.     That  is  a  Utopian  idea.' 

"  Then,  you  ^v^ll  go — " 

"  WMthersoever  Providence  wills ;  but,  at  all  o vents, 
from  east  to  west." 

"  Why  so  ?  " 

"  Because  I  expect  to  avail  myself  of  the  trade- wmds, 
the  direction  of  which  is  always  the  same." 

"  Ah  I  yes,  indeed  ! "  said  Kennedy,  reflecting ;  "  the 
trade-winds — yes — truly — one  might — there's  something 
in  that ! " 

"Something  in  it — yes,  my  excellent  friend — there's 
every  thing  in  it.  The  English  Government  has  placed  a 
transport  at  my  disposal,  and  three  or  four  vessels  are  to 
cruise  off  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  about  the  presumed 
period  of  my  arrival.  In  three  months,  at  most,  I  shall  be 
at  Zanzibar,  where  I  will  inflate  my  balloon,  and  from  that 
point  we  shall  launch  ourselves." 

«  We  ! "  said  Dick. 

"  Have  you  still  a  shadow  of  an  objection  to  offer  ? 
Speak,  friend  Kennedy." 

"  An  objection  !  I  have  a  thousand ;  but  among  other 
things,  tell  me,  if  you  expect  to  see  the  country.  K  you 
expect  to  mount  and  descend  at  pleasure,  you  cannot  do 
so,  without  losing  your  gas.  Up  to  this  time  no  other 
means  have  been  devised,  and  it  is  this  that  has  always 
prevented  long  journeys  in  the  air." 

"  My  dear  Dick,  I  have  only  one  word  to  answer — I 
•hall  not  lose  one  particle  of  gas." 

"  And  yet  you  can  descend  when  you  please  ?  " 


30  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BaLLOOH. 

"  I  shall  descend  when  I  please." 

"  And  how  will  you  do  that  ?  " 

"  Ah,  ha !  therein  lies  my  secret,  friend  Dick.  Have 
t'aith,  and  let  my  device  be  yours — '  Excelsior  I  * " 

"  *  Excelsior'  be  it  then,"  said  the  sportsman,  who  did 
aot  understand  a  word  of  Latin. 

But  he  made  up  his  mind  to  oppose  his  friend's  depart- 
are  by  all  means  in  his  power,  and  so  pretended  to  give 
m,  at  the  same  time  keeping  on  the  watch.  As  for  the 
doctor,  he  vent  on  diligently  with  his  preparationa. 


CHAPTER    FOURTH. 

AMom  BxploratioDB.  — Barth,  Richardson,  Overweg,  Weme,  Bnm-RoUet,  P« 
ney,  Andrea,  Debono,  Miani,  Gnillanme  Lejean,  Brace,  Krspf  and  Rebmana. 
Malzan,  RoBcber,  Barton  and  Speke. 

The  aerial  line  which  Dr.  Ferguson  counted  upon  fol- 
lowing had  not  been  chosen  at  random ;  his  point  of  de- 
parture had  been  carefully  studied,  and  it  was  not  without* 
good  cause  that  he  had  resolved  to  ascend  at  the  island 
of  Zanzibar.  This  island,  lying  near  to  the  eastern  coast 
of  Africa,  is  in  the  sixth  degree  of  south  latitude,  that  is 
to  say,  four  hundred  and  thirty  geographical  miles  below 
the  equator. 

From  this  island  the  latest  expedition,  sent  by  way  of 
the  great  lakes  to  explore  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  had  just 
set  out. 

But  it  would  be  well  to  indicate  what  explorations 
Dr.  Ferguson  hoped  to  link  together.  The  two  principal 
ones  were  those  of  Dr.  Barth  in  1849,  and  of  Lieutenants 
Burton  and  Speke  in  1858. 

Dr.  Barth  is  a  Hamburger,  who  obtained  permission 
for  himself  and  for  his  countryman  Overweg  to  join  the 
expedition  of  the  Englishman  Richardson.  The  latter  was 
charged  with  a  mission  in  the  Soudan. 

This  vast  region  is  situated  between  the  fifteenth  and 
tenth  degrees  of  north  latitude  that  is  to  say,  that,  io 
order  to  approach  it,  the  explorer  must  penetrate  fifteen 
hundred  miles  into  the  interior  of  Africa. 

Until  then,  the  country  in  question  had  been  known 


82  rrvE  weeks  in  a  balloon. 

only  through  the  journeys  of  Denham,  of  Clapperton,  and 
of  Oudney,  made  from  1822  to  1824.  Richardson,  Barth, 
and  Overweg,  jealously  anxious  to  push  their  investigar 
tions  farther,  arrived  at  Tunis  and  Tinpoli,  like  their  prede- 
cessors, and  got  as  far  as  Mourzouk,  the  capital  of  Fezzan. 

They  then  abandoned  the  perpendicular  line,  and  made 
a  sharp  turn  westward  toward  Ghat,  guided,  with  difficulty 
by  the  Touaregs.  After  a  thousand  scenes  of  pillage,  of 
vexation,  and  attacks  by  armed  forces,  their  caravan  ar- 
rived, in  October,  at  the  vast  oasis  of  Asben.  Dr.  Barth 
separated  from  his  companions,  made  an  excursion  to  the 
town  of  Aghades,  and  rejoined  the  expedition,  which  re- 
sumed its  march  on  the  12th  of  December.  At  length  it 
reached  the  province  of  Damerghou ;  there  the  three  trav- 
ellers parted,  and  Barth  took  the  road  to  Kano,  where  he 
arrived  by  dint  of  perseverance,  and  after  paying  consid- 
erable tribute. 

In  spite  of  an  intense  fever,  he  quitted  that  place  on 
the  7th  of  March,  accompanied  by  a  single  servant.  The 
principal  aim  of  his  journey  was  to  reconnoitre  Lake  Tchad^ 
from  which  he  was  still  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  dis- 
tant. He  therefore  advanced  toward  the  east,  and  reached 
the  town  of  Zouricolo,  in  the  Bornou  country,  which  is  the 
core  of  the  great  central  empii-e  of  Africa.  There  he  heard 
of  the  death  of  Richardson,  who  had  succumbed  to  fatigue 
and  privation.  He  next  arrived  at  Kouka,  the  capital  of 
Bornou,  on  the  borders  of  the  lake.  Finally,  at  the  end 
of  three  weeks,  on  the  14th  of  April,  twelve  months  after 
having  quitted  Tripoli,  he  reached  the  town  of  Ngomou. 

We  find  him  again  setting  forth  on  the  29th  of  March, 
1851,  with  Overweg,  to  visit  the  kingdom  of  Adamaouay 
to  the  south  of  the  lake,  and  from  there  he  pushed  on  an 
far  as  the  town  of  Yola,  a  little  below  nine  degrees  north 
latitude.  This  was  the  extreme  southern  limit  reached  bj 
that  d&ring  traveller. 


BAKTH'S    EXPEDinOW.  88 

He  returned  in  the  month  of  Angnst  to  Kouka ;  from 
there  he  successively  traversed  the  Mandara,  Barghimi, 
and  Klanem  countries,  and  reached  his  extreme  limit  in 
the  east,  the  town  of  Masena,  situated  at  seventeen  de- 
grees  twenty  minutes  west  longitude. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1852,  after  the  death  of 
Overweg,  his  last  companion,  he  plunged  into  the  west, 
vdsited  Sockoto,  crossed  the  Niger,  and  finally  reached 
Timbuctoo,  where  he  had  to  languish,  during  eight  long 
luonths,  under  vexations  inflicted  upon  him  by  the  sheik, 
and  all  kinds  of  ill-treatment  and  wretchedness.  But  the 
presence  of  a  Christian  in  the  city  could  not  long  be  toler- 
ated, and  the  FouUans  threatened  to  besiege  it.  The 
doctor,  therefore,  left  it  on  the  17th  of  March,  1854,  and 
fled  to  the  frontier,  where  he  remained  for  thirty-three 
days  in  the  most  abject  destitution.  He  then  managed  to 
get  back  to  Kano  in  November,  thence  to  Kouka,  where 
he  resumed  Denham's  route  after  four  months'  delay.  He 
regained  Tripoli  toward  the  close  of  August,  1855,  and  ar- 
rived in  London  on  the  6th  of  September,  the  only  sur- 
vivor of  his  party. 

Such  was  the  venturesome  journey  of  Dr.  Barth. 

Dr.  Ferguson  carefully  noted  the  fact,  that  he  had 
stopped  at  four  degrees  north  latitude  and  seventeen  de- 
grees west  longitude. 

Now  let  us  see  what  Lieutenants  Burton  and  Speke 
accomplished  in  Eastern  Africa. 

The  various  expeditions  that  had  ascended  the  Nile 
could  never  manage  to  reach  the  mysterious  source  of  that 
river.  According  to  the  narrative  of  the  German  doctor, 
Ferdinand  Werne,  the  expedition  attempted  in  1 810,  under 
the  auspices  of  Mehemet  Ali,  stopped  at  Gondokoro,  be- 
tween the  fourth  and  fifth  parallels  of  north  latitude. 

Li  1855,  Brun-Roliet,  a  native  of  Savoy,  appointed 
oonsol  for  Sardinia  in  Eastern  Soudan,  to  take  the  place 


84  nvs  WBSKB  m  a  ballook. 

of  Yaudfiy,  who  had  just  died,  set  out  from  Karthoum, 
and,  under  the  name  of  Yacoub  the  merchant,  trading  in 
gums  and  ivory,  got  as  far  as  Belenia,  beyond  the  fourth 
degree,  but  haid  to  return  in  ill-health  to  Karthoum,  where 
he  died  in  1857. 

Neither  Dr.  Penney — the  head  of  the  Egyptian  medical 
service,  who,  in  a  small  steamer,  penetrated  one  degree  be- 
yond Gondokoro,  and  then  came  back  to  die  of  exhaustion 
at  Karthoum — nor  Miani,  the  Venetian,  who,  turning  the 
cataracts  below  Gondokoro,  reached  the  second  parallel — 
nor  the  Maltese  trader,  Andrea  Debono,  who  pushed  his 
journey  up  the  Nile  still  farther — could  work  their  way 
beyond  the  apparently  impassable  limit. 

In  1859,  M.  Guillaume  Lejean,  intrusted  with  a  mis- 
sion by  the  French  Government,  reached  Karthoum  by 
way  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  embarked  upon  the  Nile  with  a 
retinue  of  twenty-one  hired  men  and  twenty  soldiers,  but 
he  could  not  get  past  Gondokoro,  and  ran  extreme  risk  of 
his  life  among  the  negro  tribes,  who  were  in  full  revolt. 
The  expedition  directed  by  M.  d'Escayrac  de  Lauture 
made  an  equally  unsuccessful  attempt  to  reach  the  famous 
sources  of  the  Nile. 

This  fatal  limit  invariably  brought  every  traveller  to  a 
halt.  In  ancient  times,  the  ambassadors  of  Nero  reached 
tne  ninth  degree  of  latitude,  but  in  eighteen  centuries  only 
from  five  to  six  degrees,  or  from  three  hundred  to  three 
hundred  and  sixty  geographical  miles,  were  gained, 

Many  travellers  endeavored  to  reach  the  sources  of  the 
Nile  by  taking  their  point  of  departure  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  Africa. 

Between  1768  and  1772  the  Scotch  traveller,  Bruce, 
set  out  from  Massowah,  a  poii,  of  Abyssinia,  traversed  the 
Tigr6,  visited  the  ruins  of  Axum,  saw  the  sources  of  the 
Nile  where  they  did  not  exist,  and  obtained  no  serioof 
result. 


ICAJZAN,    BURTON,    XSD   SPBKS.  88 

In  1844,  Dr.  Krapf,  an  Anglican  missionary,  founded 
«n  establishment  at  Monbaz,  on  the  coast  of  Zanguebar^ 
and,  in  company  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rebmann,  discovered 
two  mountain-ranges  three  hundred  miles  from  the  coast. 
These  were  the  mountains  of  Kilimandjaro  and  Kenia, 
which  Messrs.  de  Heuglin  and  Thornton  have  partly  scaled 
•o  recently. 

In  1845,  Maizan,  the  French  explorer,  disembarked 
alone,  at  Bagamayo,  directly  opposite  to  Zanzibar,  and 
got  as  far  as  Deje-la-]\Ihora,  where  the  chief  caused  him 
to  be  put  to  death  in  the  most  cruel  torment. 

In  1859,  in  the  month  of  August,  the  young  traveller, 
RoBcher,  from  Hamburg,  set  out  with  a  caravan  of  Arab 
merchants,  reached  Lake  Nyassa,  and  was  there  assassin 
ated  while  he  slept. 

Finally,  in  1857,  Lieutenants  Burton  and  Speke,  both 
officers  in  the  Bengal  army,  were  sent  by  the  London 
Geographical  Society  to  explore  the  great  African  lakes, 
and  on  the  17th  of  June  they  quitted  Zanzibar,  and 
plunged  directly  into  the  west. 

After  four  months  of  incredible  suffering,  their  bag- 
gage having  been  pillaged,  and  their  attendants  beaten 
and  slain,  they  arrived  at  Kazeh,  a  sort  of  central  ren 
dezvous  for  traders  and  caravans.  They  were  in  the 
midst  of  the  country  of  the  Moon,  and  there  they  collected 
some  precious  documents  concerning  the  manners,  govern- 
ment, religion,  fauna,  and  flora  of  the  region.  They  next 
made  for  the  first  of  the  great  lakes,  the  one  named 
Taganayika,  situated  between  the  third  and  eighth  degrees 
of  south  latitude.  They  reached  it  on  the  14th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1858,  and  visited  the  various  tribes  residing  on  its 
banks,  the  most  of  whom  aire  cannibals. 

They  departed  again  on  the  26th  of  May,  and  re- 
entered Kazeh  on  the  20t.i  of  June.  There  Burton,  who 
was    completely  worn   out,  lay  ill    for  o^^^^ral  months  j 


86  FITB  WEEKS   IN   A  BALLOOOf. 

during  wHch  time  Speke  made  a  push  to  the  northward 
of  more  than  three  hundred  miles,  going  as  far  as  Lake 
Okeracua,  which  he  came  in  sight  of  on  the  3d  of  August ; 
but  he  could  descry  only  the  opening  of  it  at  latitude 
two  degrees  thirty  minutes. 

He  reached  Kazeh,  on  his  return,  on  the  25th  of  Au 
gust,  and,  in  company  with  Bui-ton,  again  took  up  the 
route  to  Zanzibar,  where  they  arrived  in  the  month  of 
March  in  the  following  year.  These  two  daring  explorers 
then  reembarked  for  England ;  and  the  Geographical  So- 
ciety of  Paris  decreed  them  its  annual  prize  medal. 

Dr.  Ferguson  carefully  remarked  that  they  had  not 
gone  beyond  the  second  degree  of  south  latitude,  nor  the 
twenty-ninth  of  east  longitude. 

The  problem,  therefore,  was  how  to  link  the  explora- 
tions of  Burton  and  Speke  with  those  of  Dr.  Barth,  since 
to  do  so  was  to  undertake  to  traverse  an  extent  of  more 
than  twelve  degrees  of  territory. 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 

Ceanedj'B  Dreams  —Articles  and  Pronouns  in  the  Plural.— Dick's  Inslnnalofls 
— A  Promenade  over  the  Map  of  Africa. — What  is  contained  between  *w« 
foiDiB  of  the  Compass.— Expeditions  now  on  foot. — Speke  and  Grant.— Krapt 
De  Decken,  and  De  Ileuglin. 

De.  Ferguson  energetically  pushed  the  preparations 
lor  his  departure,  and  in  person  superintended  the  con- 
struction of  his  balloon,  with  certain  modifications;  in 
regard  to  which  he  observed  the  most  absolute  silence. 
For  a  long  time  past  he  had  been  applying  himself  to  the 
study  of  the  Arab  language  and  the  various  Mandingoe 
idioms,  and,  thanks  to  his  talents  as  a  polyglot,  he  had 
made  rapid  progress. 

In  the  mean  while  his  friend,  the  sportsman,  never  let 
him  out  of  his  sight — afraid,  no  doubt,  that  the  doctor 
might  take  his  departure,  without  saying  a  word  to  any- 
body. On  this  subject,  he  regaled  him  with  the  most 
persuasive  arguments,  which,  however,  did  not  persuade 
Samuel  Ferguson,  and  wasted  his  breath  in  pathetic  en- 
treaties, by  which  the  latter  seemed  to  be  but  slightly 
moved.  In  fine,  Dick  felt  that  the  doctor  was  slipping 
through  his  fingers. 

The  poor  Scot  was  really  to  be  pitied,  He  could  not 
look  upon  the  azure  vault  without  a  sombre  terror:  when 
asleep,  he  felt  oscillations  that  made  his  head  reel ;  and 
every  night  he  had  visions  of  being  swung  aloft  at  im 
measurable  heights. 

We  must  add  tKat,  during  these  fearful  nightmares, 


88  FIVB   WEEKS    LN    A   BALLOON. 

he  once  or  twice  fell  out  of  bed  His  first  care  th-^  was 
to  show  Ferguson  a  severe  contusion  that  he  had  re- 
ceived on  the  cranium.  "  And  yet,"  he  would  add,  with 
warmth,  "  that  was  at  the  height  of  only  three  feet—  not 
an  inch  more — and  such  a  bump  as  thisl  Only  th:  k, 
then  1 " 

Tills  insinuation,  full  of  sad  meaning  as  it  was,  did  r 
<eem  to  touch  the  doctor's  heart. 

We'll  not  fall,"  was  his  invariable  reply. 

*  But,  still,  suppose  that  we  were  to  fall  1 " 

«  We  will  not  fall ! " 

This  was  decisive,  and  Kennedy  had  nothing  more  to 
any. 

What  particularly  exasperated  Dick  was,  that  the  doc- 
tor seemed  completely  to  lose  sight  of  his  personality — 
of  his — Kennedy's — and  to  look  upon  him  as  irrevocably 
destined  to  become  his  aSrial  companion.  Not  even  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt  was  ever  suggested ;  and  Samuel  made 
an  intolerable  misuse  of  the  first  person  plural : 

"  '  We '  are  getting  along  ;  '  we  '  shall  be  ready  on 
the ;  *  we '  shall  start  on  the ,"  etc.,  stc. 

And  then  there  was  the  singular  possessive  adjective : 

"  *  Our '  balloon ;  *  our '  car ;  '  our '  expedition." 

And  the  same  in  the  plural,  too : 

"  *  Our  *  preparations ;  *  our "  discoveries ;  '  our '  ascen- 
sions." 

Dick  shuddered  at  them,  although  he  was  determmed 
not  to  go ;  but  he  did  not  want  to  annoy  his  friend.  Let 
us  also  disclose  the  fact  that,  without  knowing  exactly 
why  himself,  he  had  sent  to  Edinburgh  for  a  certain  selec- 
tion of  heavy  clothing,  and  his  best  hunting-gear  and 
fire-arms. 

One  day,  after  having  admitted  that,  with  an  over- 
whelming run  of  good-luck,  there  might  be  one  chance  of 
Buecoss  in  a  thousand,  he  pretended  to  yield  entirely  to 


oiok'b  mamuATioKS.  3^9 

the  doctor's  wishes ;  but,  in  order  to  still  put  off  the  jour- 
ney, he  opened  the  most  varied  series  of  subterfuges.  He 
threw  himself  back  upon  questioning  the  utility  of  the 
expedition — its  opportuneness,  etc.  This  discovery  of  the 
sources  of  the  Nile,  was  it  likely  to  be  of  any  use  ? — Would 
one  have  really  labored  for  the  welfare  of  humanity? — 
When,  after  all,  the  African  tribes  should  have  been  civil- 
ized, would  they  be  any  happier? — Were  folks  certain 
that  civilization  had  not  its  chosen  abode  there  rather 
than  in  Europe  ? — Perhaps ! — And  then,  couldn't  one  wait 
a  little  longer? — The  trip  across  Africa  woiild  certainly 
be  accomplished  some  day,  and  in  a  less  hazardous  man- 
ner.— In  another  month,  or  in  six  months  before  the  yeai 
was  over,  some  explorer  would  undoubtedly  come  in— 
etc.,  etc. 

These  hints  produced  an  effect  exactly  opposite  to 
what  was  desired  or  intended,  and  the  doctor  trembled 
with  impatience. 

"  Are  you  willing,  then,  wretched  Dick — are  you  will- 
ing, false  friend — that  this  glory  should  belong  to  another  ? 
Must  I  then  be  untrue  to  my  past  history  ;  recoil  before 
obstacles  that  are  not  serious  ;  requite  with  cowardly 
hesitation  what  both  the  English  Government  and  the 
Royal  Society  of  London  have  done  for  me  ?  " 

"  But,"  resumed  Kennedy,  who  made  great  use  of  that 
conjunction. 

"  But,"  said  the  doctor,  "  are  you  not  aware  that  my 
journey  is  to  compete  with  the  success  of  the  expeditions 
now  on  foot  ?  Don't  you  know  that  fresh  explorers  are 
advancing  toward  the  centre  of  Africa  ?  " 

«  Still—" 

"Listen  to  me,  Dick,  and  cast  your  eyes  over  that 
map." 

Dick  glanced  over  it,  with  resignation. 

"  Now,  ascend  the  course  of  the  Nile. '" 


40  FIYB  WEEKS   m   A   BAIXOOS. 

*•!  have  ascended  it,"  replied  the  Scotchman,  with 
docility. 

"  Stop  at  Gondokoro." 

"  I  am  there." 

And  Kennedy  thought  to  himself  how  easy  such  a  trip 
was — on  the  map  1 

"  Now,  take  one  of  the  points  of  these  dividers  and  let 
it  rest  upon  that  place  heyond  which  the  most  daring  ex- 
plorers have  scarcely  gone." 

"  I  have  done  so," 

"  And  now  look  along  the  coast  for  the  island  of  Zanzi 
bar,  in  latitude  six  degrees  south." 

"  I  have  it." 

"  Now,  follow  the  same  parallel  and  arrive  at  Kazeh." 

"  I  have  done  so." 

"  Run  up  again  along  the  thirty-third  degree  of  longi- 
tude to  the  opening  of  Lake  Oukereou^,  at  the  point  where 
Lieutenant  Speke  had  to  halt." 

"  I  am  there ;  a  little  more,  and  I  should  have  tmnbled 
into  the  lake." 

"  Very  good  1  Now,  do  you  know  what  we  have  the 
right  to  suppose,  according  to  the  information  given  by 
the  tribes  that  live  along  its  shores  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

"  Why,  that  this  lake,  the  lower  extremity  of  which  it* 
m  two  degrees  and  thirty  minutes,  must  extend  also  two 
degrees  and  a  half  above  the  equator." 

«  Really  I " 

"  "Well  from  this  northern  extremity  there  flows  a 
stream  which  must  necessarily  join  the  Nile,  if  it  be  t^ 
the  Nile  itself." 

"  That  is,  indeed,  curious." 

"  Then,  let  the  other  point  of  your  dividers  rest  uyo* 
I  hat  extremity  of  Lake  Oukereoue." 

"  Tt  is  done,  friend  Ferguson." 


8FSKB   AKD  QRAST.  41 

"  Now,  how  many  degrees  can  you  count  between  t 
t>»  )  points  ?  " 

'*  Scarcely  two." 

••  And  do  you  know  what  that  means,  Dick  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least  in  the  world." 

"  TVhy,  that  makes  scarcely  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles — in  other  words,  a  nothing." 

"  Almost  nothing,  Samuel" 

"  Well,  do  you  know  what  is  taking  place  at  this  mo- 
ment ?  " 

"  No,  upon  Miy  honor,  I  do  not." 

"  Very  well,  \hen,  I'll  tell  you.  The  Geographical  So- 
ciety regard  as  veiy  important  the  exploration  of  this  lake 
of  which  Speke  caught  a  glimpse.  Under  their  auspices. 
Lieutenant  (now  Captain)  Speke  has  associated  with  him 
Captain  Grant,  of  the  army  in  India  ;  they  have  put  them 
selves  at  the  head  of  a  numerous  and  well-equipped  expe- 
dition ;  their  mission  is  to  ascend  the  lake  and  return  to 
Gondokoro;  they  have  received  a  subsidy  of  more  than 
Sve  thousand  pounds,  and  the  Governor  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  has  placed  Hottentot  soldiers  at  their  disposal ; 
they  set  out  from  Zanzibar  at  the  close  of  October,  1860. 
In  the  mean  while  John  Petherick,  the  English  consul  at 
the  city  of  Karthoum,  has  received  about  seven  hundred 
pounds  from  the  foreign  office ;  he  is  to  equip  a  steamer  at 
Karthoum,  stock  it  with  sufficient  provisions,  and  make  his 
way  to  Gondokoro ;  there,  he  will  await  Captain  Speke's 
caravan,  and  bo  able  to  replenish  its  supplies  to  some  ex- 
tent." 

"  "Well  planned,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  You  can  easily  see,  then,  that  time  presses  if  we  are 
to  take  part  in  these  exploring  labors.  And  that  is  not 
all,  since,  while  some  are  thus  advancing  with  sure  steps 
to  the  discovery  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  others  an 
penetrating  to  the  very  heart  of  Africa." 


43  FIVE   WEEKS   or    A   BALLOOH. 

"  On  foot  ?"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Yes,  on  foot,"  rejoined  the  doctor,  without  noticing 
the  insinuation.  "  Doctor  Krapf  proposes  to  push  forward, 
in  the  west,  by  way  of  the  Djob,  a  river  lying  under  the 
equator.  Baron  de  Decken  has  already  set  out  from 
Monbaz,  has  reconnoitred  the  mountains  of  Kenaia  and 
Kilimandjaro,  and  is  now  plunging  in  toward  the 
centre." 

"  But  all  this  time  on  foot  ?  " 

"  On  foot  or  on  mules." 

"Exactly  the  same,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  ejacu- 
lated Kennedy. 

"  Lastly,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  M.  de  Heuglin,  the 
Austrian  vice-consul  at  Karthoum,  has  just  organized  a 
very  important  expedition,  the  first  aim  of  which  is  to 
search  for  the  traveller  Vogel,  who,  in  1853,  was  sent  into 
the  Soudan  to  associate  himself  with  the  labors  of  Dr. 
Barth.  In  1856,  he  quitted  Bornou,  and  determined  to  ex- 
plore the  unknown  country  that  lies  between  Lake  Tchad 
and  Darfiir.  Nothing  has  been  seen  of  him  since  that 
time.  Letters  that  were  received  in  Alexandria,  in  1860, 
said  that  he  was  killed  at  the  order  of  the  King  of  Wadai ; 
but  other  letters,  addressed  by  Dr.  Hartmann  to  the  travel 
ler's  father,  relate  that,  according  to  the  recital  of  a  fel- 
latah  of  Bornou,  Vogel  was  merely  held  as  a  prisoner  at 
Wara.  All  hope  is  not  then  lost.  Hence,  a  committee 
has  been  organized  under  the  presidency  of  the  Regent  of 
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ;  my  friend  Petermann  is  its  secre- 
tary ;  a  national  subscription  has  provided  ^.oi  the  ex- 
pense of  the  expedition,  whose  strength  has  been  increased 
by  the  voluntary  accession  of  several  learned  men,  anc" 
M.  de  Heuglin  set  out  from  Massowah,  in  the  month  of 
June.  While  engaged  in  looking  for  Vogel,  he  is  also  tc 
explore  all  the  country  between  the  Nile  and  Lake  Tchad, 
that  is  to  say,  to  knit  together  the  operations  of  Captais 


J  THB   OANNT    SCXXT.  43 

} 

i  Speke  and  those  of  Dr.  Barth,  and  then  Africa  will  have 

'  been  traversed  from  east  to  west."  * 

"  Well,"  said  the  canny  Scot,  "  since  every  thing  is 
getting  on  so  well,  what's  the  use  of  our  going  down 
there  ?  " 

Dr.  Ferguson  made  no  reply,  but  contented  himself 
with  a  significant  shrug  of  the  shoulders. 

•  After  the  departure  of  Dr.  Ferguson,  it  was  ascertained  that  M.  de 
Heuglin,  owing  to  some  disagreement,  took  a  route  different  from  the  on* 
assigned  to  his  expedition,  the  command  of  the  latter  baying  been  trans 
rerr«d  to  Mr.  Muntzinger. 


CHAPTER   SIXTH. 

A  8«rTM)t~inatch  him !— Ho  can  eee  the  Satellites  of  Jnplter.— Dick  and  Jof 
hard  at  It.— Doubt  and  Faith.— The  Weighing  Ceremony.-Joe  and  WeDlng. 
ton,— He  gets  a  Half-crown, 

Dr.  Ferguson  had  a  servant  who  answered  with  alao 
nty  to  the  name  of  Joe.  lie  was  an  excellent  fellow,  who 
testified  the  most  absolute  confidence  in  his  master,  and 
the  most  imlimited  devotion  to  his  interests,  even  antici- 
pating his  wishes  and  orders,  which  were  always  intelli- 
gently executed.  In  fine,  he  was  a  Caleb  without  the 
growling,  and  a  perfect  pattern  of  constant  good-humor. 
Had  he  been  made  on  purpose  for  the  place,  it  could  not 
have  been  better  done.  Ferguson  put  himself  entirely  in 
his  hands,  so  far  as  the  ordinary  details  of  existence  were 
concerned,  and  he  did  well  Incomparable,  whole-souled 
Joe !  a  servant  who  orders  your  dinner ;  who  likes  what 
you  like ;  who  packs  your  trunk,  without  forgetting  youi 
BOcks  or  your  linen ;  who  has  charge  of  your  keys  and  youj 
secrets,  and  takes  no  advantage  of  all  this  ! 

But  then,  what  a  man  the  doctor  was  in  the  eyes  of 
this  worthy  Joe  1  "With  what  respect  and  what  confidence 
the  latter  received  all  his  decisions  I  When  Ferguson  had 
spoken,  he  would  be  a  fool  who  should  attempt  to  question 
the  matter.  Every  thing  he  thought  was  exactly  right ; 
every  thing  he  said,  the  perfection  of  wisdom ;  every  thing 
he  ordered  to  be  done,  quite  feasible ;  all  that  he  under- 
took, practicable;  all  that  he  accomplished,  admirable. 
You  might  haye  out  Joe  to  pieces — not  an   agreeable 


JOS'S   A(XX>MFLISHHESrTa.  45 

operation,  to  be  sure — and  yet  he  would  not  have  altered 
his  opinion  of  his  master. 

So,  when  the  doctor  conceived  the  project  of  crossing 
Africa  through  the  air,  for  Joe  the  thing  was  already 
done ;  obstacles  no  longer  existed ;  from  the  moment  when 
the  doctor  had  made  up  his  mind  to  start,  he  had  arrived 
— along  with  his  faithful  attendant,  too,  for  the  noble  fel- 
low knew,  without  a  word  uttered  about  it,  that  he  would 
be  one  of  the  party. 

Moreover,  he  was  just  the  man  to  render  the  greatest 
service  by  his  intelligence  and  his  wonderful  agility.  Had 
the  occasion  arisen  to  name  a  professor  of  gymnastics  for 
the  monkeys  in  the  Zoological  Garden  (who  are  smart 
enough,  by-the-way !),  Joe  would  certainly  have  received 
the  appointment.  Leaping,  climbing,  almost  flying — 
these  were  all  sport  to  him. 

K  Ferguson  was  the  head  and  Kennedy  the  arm,  Joe 
was  to  be  the  right  hand  of  the  expedition.  He  hadj 
already,  accompanied  his  master  on  several  journeys,  and 
had  a  smattering  of  science  appropriate  to  his  condition 
and  style  of  mind,  but  he  was  especially  remarkable  for  a 
sort  of  mild  philosophy,  a  charming  turn  of  optimism.  In 
his  sight  every  thing  was  easy,  logical,  natural,  and,  conse 
quently,  he  could  see  no  use  in  complaining  or  grumbling. 

Among  other  gifts,  he  possessed  a  strength  and  range 
of  vision  that  were  perfectly  surprising.  He  enjoyed,  in 
common  with  Moestlin,  Kepler's  professor,  the  rare  faculty 
of  distinguishing  the  satellites  of  Jupiter  with  the  naked 
eye,  and  of  counting  fourteen  of  the  stars  in  the  group  of 
Pleiades,  the  remotest  of  them  being  only  of  the  ninth 
magnitude.  He  presumed  none  the  more  for  that ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  made  his  bow  to  you,  at  a  distance,  and  when 
occasion  arose  he  bravely  knew  how  to  use  his  eyes. 

With  such  profound  faith  as  Joe  felt  in  the  doctor,  it 
If  not  to  be  wocdered  at  that  incessant  discussions  sprang 


46  FIVE   WBBK8   IN   A   BALLOOIT. 

np  between  him  and  Kennedy,  without  any  lack  of  respect 
to  the  latter,  however. 

One  doubted,  the  other  believed ;  one  had  a  prudent 
foresight,  the  other  blind  confidence.     The  doctor,  how- 
ever, vibrated  between  doubt  and  confidence ;  that  is  to 
•ay,  he  troubled  his  head  with  neither  one  nor  the  other. 
"  Well,  Mr.  Kennedy,"  Joe  would  say. 
"Well,  my  boy?" 

"  The  moment's  at  hand.  It  seems  that  we  are  to  sail 
for  the  moon." 

"  You  mean  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon,  which  are  not 
quite  so  far  ofl'.  But,  never  mind,  one  trip  is  just  as  dan- 
gerous as  the  other ! " 

"  Dangerous !  What  I  with  a  man  like  Dr.  Ferguson  ?  " 
"  I  don't  want  to  spoil  your  illusions,  my  good  Joe ; 
but  this  undertaking  of  his  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
the  act  of  a  madman.    He  won't  go,  though  ! " 

"  He  won't  go,  eh  ?  Then  you  haven't  seen  his  balloon 
at  ^Mitchell's  factory  in  the  Borough?" 

"  I'll  take  precious  good  care  to  keep  away  from  it  1 " 
"  Well,  you'll  lose  a  fine  sight,  sir.     What  a  splendid 
thing  it  is  1    What  a  pretty  shape !    What  a  nice  car  1 
How  snug  we'll  feel  in  it ! " 

"  Then  you  really  think  of  going  with  your  master  ?  " 
"I?"  answered  Joe,  with  an  accent  of  profound  con- 
viction.    "  Why,  I'd  go  with  him  wherever  he  pleases  ! 
Who  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing  ?    Leave  him  to  go  ofi" 
alone,  after  we've  been  all  over  the  world  together !   Who 
would  help  him,  when  he  was  tired  ?    Who  would  give 
him  a  hand  in  cUmbing  over  the  rocks  ?    Who  would  at- 
tend him  when  he  was  sick  ?     No  Mr.  Kennedy,  Joe  wil' 
always  stick  to  the  doctor ! " 
"  You're  a  fine  fellow,  Joe ! " 
"  But,  then,  you're  coming  with  us  I " 
"Ohl  certainly,"  said  Kennedy;   "that  is  to  »»7,  I 


THE  WEIGHTtra.  47 

wHl  go  with  you  up  to  the  last  moment,  to  prevent  Samuel 
even  then  from  being  guilty  of  such  an  act  of  folly!  I 
will  follow  him  as  far  as  Zanzibar  so  as  to  stop  him  there, 
if  possible." 

"  You'll  stop  nothing  at  all,  Mr.  Kennedy,  with  all  re- 
spect to  you,  sir.  My  master  is  no  hare-braineJ  person ; 
he  takes  a  long  time  to  think  over  what  he  means  to  do, 
and  then,  when  he  once  gets  started,  the  Evil  One  himself 
couldn't  make  hira  give  it  up." 

"  Well,  we'll  see  about  that." 

**■  Don't  flatter  yourself,  sir — but  then,  the  main  thing 
is,  to  have  you  with  us.  For  a  hunter  like  you,  sir, 
Africa's  a  great  country.  So,  either  way,  you  won't  be 
sorry  for  the  trip." 

"  No,  that's  a  fact,  I  shan't  be  sorry  for  it,  if  I  can  get 
this  crazy  man  to  give  up  his  scheme." 

"  By-the-way,"  said  Joe,  "  you  know  that  the  weighing 
comes  off  to-day." 

"The  weighing — what  weighing?" 

"Why,  my  master,  and  you,  and  I,  are  all  to  bo 
\»eighed  to-day  1" 

"  What !  like  horse-jockeys  ?  " 

"Yes,  like  jockeys.  Only,  never  fear,  you  won't  be 
expected  to  make  yourself  lean,  if  you're  found  to  be 
heavy.     You'll  go  as  you  are." 

"  Well,  I  can  tell  you,  I  am  not  going  to  let  myself  be 
weighed,"  said  Kennedy,  firmly. 

"  But,  sir,  it  seems  that  the  doctor's  machine  requires 
it." 

"Weil,  his  machine  will  have  to  do  without  it," 

"Ilumph !  and  suppose  that  it  couldn't  go  up,  then?*' 

«  Egad  1  that's  all  I  want  I " 

"  Come  !  come  Mr.  Kennedy !  My  master  will  be  send 
mg  for  us  directly. " 

"  I  shan't  go." 
8 


48  FIYE   WEEKS    IN    A   BALX.OOH. 

**  Oh  !  now,  you  won't  vex  the  doctor  in  that  way  1 " 

"Ayel  that  I  wUL" 

"  Well ! "  said  Joe  with  a  laugh,  "  you  say  that  be 
cause  he's  not  here ;   but  when   he   says  to   your   face, 
*  Dick  ! '  (with  all  respect  to  you,  sir,)  '  Dick,  I  want  to 
know  exactly  how  much  you  weigh,'  you'll  go,  I  warran 
it." 

"  No,  I  will  not  go  1 " 

At  this  moment  the  doctor  entered  his  study,  where 
this  discussion  had  been  taking  place ;  and,  as  he  came 
in,  cast  a  glance  at  Kennedy,  who  did  not  feel  altogether 
at  his  ease. 

"  Dick,"  said  the  doctor,  "  come  with  Joe ;  I  want  to 
know  how  much  you  both  weigh." 

"  But—" 

"  You  may  keep  your  hat  on.  Come  1 "  And  Kennedy 
went. 

They  repaired  in  company  to  the  workshop  of  the 
Messrs.  Mitchell,  where  one  of  those  so-called  "  Roman  " 
scales  was  in  readiness.  It  was  necessary,  by  the  way, 
for  the  doctor  to  know  the  weight  of  his  companions,  so 
as  to  fix  the  equilibrium  of  his  balloon  ;  so  ho  made  Dick 
get  up  on  the  platform  of  the  scales.  The  latter,  without 
making  any  resistance,  said,  in  an  undertone : 

"  Oh  I  well,  that  doesn't  bind  me  to  any  thing." 

"  One  hundred  and  fifty-three  pounds,"  said  the  doo 
tor,  noting  it  down  on  his  tablets. 

"  Am  I  too  heavy  ?  " 

"  Why,  no,  Mr.  Kennedy  1 "  said  Joe ;  "  and  then,  you 
enow,  I  am  light  to  make  up  for  it." 

So  saying,  Joe,  with  enthusiasm,  took  his  place  on  the 
scales,  and  very  nearly  upset  them  in  his  ready  haste. 
He  struck  the  attitude  of  Wellington  where  he  is  made  to 
ape  Achilles,  at  Hyde-Park  entrance,  and  was  superb  ic 
it,  without  the  ihield. 


JOB   GETS   A    HALF-OKO'VrN.  49 

"  One  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,"  wrote  the  doctor. 

"  Ah  I  ha  1 "  said  Joe,  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction. 
And  why  did  he  smile  ?    He  never  could  tell  himself, 

"  It's  my  turn  now,"  said  Ferguson — and  he  put  down 
one  hundred  and  thirty-five  pounds  to  his  own  account. 

"  All  three  of  us,"  said  he,  "  do  not  weigh  much  more 
than  four  hundred  pounds." 

"But,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "if  it  was  necessary  for  your  ex- 
pedition, I  could  make  myself  thinner  by  twenty  pounds, 
by  not  eating  so  much." 

"  Useless,  my  boy ! "  replied  the  doctor.  "  You  may 
eat  as  much  as  you  like,  and  here's  half-a-crown  to  buj 
you  the  ballast." 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

Bflomatrlcal  DetaMs, — Calculation  of  the  Capacity  of  the  Balloon.— The  Doob>4 
Receptacle.— The  Cove  ring.— The  Car.— The  Mysterioae  Apparatne.— The 
ProTlBions  and  Stores.— The  Final  Somming  up. 

Dr.  Ferguson  had  long  been  engaged  upon  the  details 
of  his  expedition.  It  is  easy  to  comprehend  that  the  bal- 
loon— that  marvellous  vehicle  which  was  to  convey  him 
through  the  air — was  the  constant  object  of  his  solicitude. 

At  the  outset,  in  order  not  to  give  the  balloon  too 
ponderous  dimensions,  he  had  decided  to  fill  it  's\dth 
hydrogen  gas,  which  is  fourteen  and  a  half  times  lighter 
than  common  air.  The  production  of  this  gas  is  easy, 
and  it  has  given  the  greatest  satisfaction  hitherto  in 
aerostatic  experiments. 

The  doctor,  according  to  very  accurate  calculations, 
found  that,  including  the  articles  indispensable  to  his  jour- 
ney and  his  apparatus,  he  should  have  to  carry  a  weight 
of  4,000  pounds ;  therefore  he  had  to  find  out  what  would 
be  the  ascensional  force  of  a  balloon  capable  of  raising  such 
a  weight,  and,  consequently,  what  would  be  its  capacity. 

A  weight  of  four  thousand  pounds  is  represented  by 
a  displacement  of  the  air  amounting  to  forty-four  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  forty-seven  cubic  feet ;  or,  in  other 
words,  forty-four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-seven 
cubic  feet  of  air  weigh  about  four  thousand  pounds. 

By  giving  the  balloon  these  cubic  dimensions,  and  fill- 
ing it  with  hydrogen  gas,  instead  of  common  air — the  for- 
mer being  fourteen  and  a  half  times  lighter  and  weighing 


GBOMETEIOAL   DETAILS.  51 

therefore  only  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  pounds — ^a 
difference  of  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  pounds  in  equilibrium  is  produced;  and  it  is  this 
difference  between  the  weight  of  the  gas  contained  in  the 
balloon  and  the  weight  of  the  surrounding  atmosphere 
that  constitutes  the  ascensional  force  of  the  former. 

However,  were  the  forty-four  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty-seven  cubic  feet  of  gas  of  which  we  speak,  all 
introduced  into  the  balloon,  it  would  be  entirely  filled ; 
but  that  would  not  do,  because,  as  the  balloon  continued 
to  mount  into  the  more  rarefied  layers  of  the  atmosphere, 
the  gas  within  would  dilate,  and  soon  burst  the  cover 
containing  it.  Balloons,  then,  are  usually  only  two-thirds 
filled. 

But  the  doctor,  in  carrying  out  a  project  known  only 
to  himself,  resolved  to  fill  his  balloon  only  one-half;  and, 
since  he  had  to  carry  forty-four  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty-seven  cubic  feet  of  gas,  to  give  his  balloon 
nearly  double  capacity  he  arranged  it  in  that  elongated, 
oval  shape  which  has  come  to  be  preferred.  The  horizon- 
tal diameter  was  fifty  feet,  and  the  vertical  diametei 
seventy-five  feet.  He  thus  obtained  a  spheroid,  the  capa- 
city of  which  amounted,  in  round  numbers,  to  ninety 
thousand  cubic  feet. 

Could  Dr.  Ferguson  have  used  two  balloons,  his  chance* 
of  success  would  have  been  increased ;  for,  should  one 
burst  in  the  air,  he  could,  by  throwing  out  ballast,  keep 
nimself  up  with  the  other.  But  the  management  of  two 
Dalloons  would,  necessarily,  be  very  difficult,  in  view  of 
ihe  problem  how  to  keep  them  both  at  an  equal  ascen- 
fional  force. 

After  having  pondered  the  matter  carefully.  Dr.  Fer- 
guson, by  an  ingenious  arrangement,  combined  the  ad- 
fantages  of  two  balloons,  without  incurring  their  incon- 
renienoes.      He  constructed  two  of  different  sizes,   an4 


W  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

inclosed  the  smaller  in  the  larger  one.  His  external  bal 
loon,  which  had  the  dimensions  given  above,  contained  a 
less  one  of  the  same  shape,  which  was  only  forty-five  feet  in 
horizontal,  and  sixty-eight  feet  in  vertical  diameter.  The 
capacity  of  this  interior  balloon  was  only  sixty-seven 
thousand  cubic  feet :  it  was  to  float  in  the  fluid  surround- 
ing it.  A  valve  opened  from  one  balloon  into  the  other, 
and  thus  enabled  the  aeronaut  to  communicate  with  both. 

This  arrangement  offered  the  advantage,  that  if  gas 
had  to  be  let  off,  so  as  to  descend,  that  which  was  in  the 
outer  balloon  would  go  first;  and,  were  it  completely 
emptied,  the  smaller  one  would  still  remain  intact.  The 
outer  envelope  might  then  be  cast  off  as  a  useless  encum- 
brance ;  and  the  second  balloon,  left  free  to  itself,  would 
not  offer  the  same  hold  to  the  currents  of  air  as  a  half- 
mflated  one  must  needs  present. 

Moreover,  in  case  of  an  accident  happening  to  the  out- 
side balloon,  such  as  getting  torn,  for  instance,  the  other 
would  remain  intact. 

The  balloons  were  made  of  a  strong  but  light  Lyons 
silk,  coated  with  gutta  percha.  This  gummy,  resinous  sub- 
stance is  absolutely  water-proof,  and  also  resists  acids  and 
gas  perfectly.  The  silk  was  doubled,  at  the  upper  ex- 
tremity of  the  oval,  where  most  of  the  strain  would 
come. 

Such  an  envelope  as  this  could  retain  the  inflating 
fluid  for  any  length  of  time.  It  weighed  half  a  pound  per 
nine  square  feet.  Hence  the  surface  of  the  outside  balloon 
being  about  eleven  thousand  six  hundred  square  feet,  its 
envelope  weighed  six  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  The  en- 
velope of  the  second  or  inner  balloon,  having  nine  thou- 
sand two  hundred  square  feet  of  surface,  weighed  only 
about  five  hundred  and  ten  poimds,  or  say  eleven  hundred 
and  sixty  pounds  for  both. 

The  network  that  supported  the  car  was  made  of  very 


THB   GAB.  5ft 

Strong  hempen  cord,  and  the  two  valves  were  the  object 
of  the  most  minute  and  carefal  attention,  as  the  rudder  of 
a  ship  would  be. 

The  car,  which  was  of  a  circular  form  and  fifteen  feet 
in  diameter,  was  made  of  wicker-work,  strengthened  with 
a  slight  covering  of  iron,  and  protected  below  by  a  system 
of  elastic  springs,  to  deaden  the  shock  of  collision.  Its 
weight,  along  with  tha/-  of  the  network,  did  not  exceed 
1F3  Ir  fiJ^-r^  and  fifty  pounds. 

In  aaii-owiii  cc  the  above,  the  doctor  caused  to  be  con- 
structed two  sheet -iron  chests  two  lines  in  thickness. 
These  were  connected  by  means  of  pipes  furnished  with 
stopcocks.  He  joined  to  these  a  spiral,  two  inches  in 
diameter,  which  terminated  in  two  branch  pieces  of  un- 
equal length,  the  longer  of  which,  however,  was  twenty- 
five  feet  in  height  and  the  shorter  only  fifteen  feet. 

These  sheet-iron  chests  were  embedded  in  the  car  in 
such  a  way  as  to  take  up  the  least  possible  amount  oi 
space.  The  spiral,  which  was  not  to  be  adjusted  until 
some  future  moment,  was  packed  up,  separately,  along 
with  a  very  strong  Buntzen  electric  battery.  This  appa- 
ratus had  been  so  ingeniously  combined  that  it  did  not 
weigh  more  than  seven  hundred  pounds,  even  including 
twenty-five  gallons  of  water  in  another  receptacle. 

The  instruments  provided  for  the  journey  consisted  of 
two  barometers,  two  thermometers,  two  compasses,  a  sex- 
tant, two  chronometers,  an  artificial  horizon,  and  an  alta- 
zimuth, to  throw  out  the  height  of  distant  and  inaccessible 
objects. 

The  Greenwich  Observatory  had  placed  itself  at  the 
doctor's  disposal.  The  latter,  l)owever,  did  not  intend  to 
make  experiments  in  physics;  he  merely  wanted  to  be 
able  to  know  in  what  direction  he  was  passing,  and  to  de- 
termine the  position  of  the  principal  rivers,  mountains, 
and  towns. 


6i  FIVE  WEEKS   m    A    BALLOON. 

lie  also  provided  himself  with  three  thoroughly  tested 
iron  anchors,  and  a  light  but  strong  silk  ladder  fifty  feet 
in  length. 

lie  at  the  same  time  carefully  weighed  his  stores  of 
provision,  which  consisted  of  tea,  coffee,  biscuit,  salted 
meat,  and  peinmicariy  a  preparation  which  comprises  many 
nutritive  elements  in  a  small  space.  Besides  a  sufficient 
stock  of  pure  brandy,  he  arranged  two  water-tanks,  each 
of  which  contained  twenty-two  gallons. 

The  consumption  of  these  articles  would  necessarily, 
little  by  little,  diminish  the  weight  to  be  sustained,  for  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  equilibrium  of  a  balloon 
floating  in  the  atmosphere  is  extremely  sensitive.  The 
loss  of  an  almost  insignificant  weight  suffices  to  produce  a 
very  noticeable  displacement. 

Nor  did  the  doctor  forget  an  awning  to  shelter  the 
car,  nor  the  coverings  and  blankets  that  were  to  be  the 
bedding  of  the  journey,  nor  some  fowling  pieces  and  rifles, 
with  their  requisite  supply  of  powder  and  ball. 

Here  is  the  summing  up  of  his  various  items,  and  their 
weight,  as  he  computed  it : 

Ferguson. 185  pounds. 

Kennedy 168  " 

Joe 120  " 

Weight  of  the  outside  balloon . . .  650  ** 

Weight  of  the  second  balloon. . .  610  " 

Car  and  network 280  " 

Anchors,  instruments,  awnings, 
and  sundry  utensils,  guns,  cov- 
erings, etc 190  " 

Meat,  pemraican,  biscuits,  tea,  cof- 
fee, brandy, 88«  • 

Water 400  «• 

Apparatus "/OO  " 

Weight  of  the  hydrogen 276  ** 

Bftllast 200  " 

4,000  pooGida, 


WEIGHT   OAKEIED.  55 

Such  were  the  items  of  the  four  thousand  pounds  that 
Dr.  Ferguson  proposed  to  carry  up  with  him.  He  took 
only  two  hundred  pounds  of  ballast  for  "unforeseen  emer- 
gencies," as  he  remarked,  since  otherwise  he  did  not  ex- 
pect to  use  any,  thanks  to  the  peculiarity  of  his  apparatus. 


CHAPTER   EIGHTH 

,<je  B  Importance.— The  Commander  of  the  Reeolnte.— Kennedy's  Arsenal. —Mn 
tua!  Amenities.— The  Farewell  Dinner.— Departure  on  the  2l8t  of  Febmary.- 
The  Doctor's  Scientific  SesBions. — Duveyrier. — Livingstone. — Details  of  th» 
ASrial  Voyagte.— Kennedy  silenced. 

About  the  10th  of  February,  the  preparations  were 
pretty  well  completed ;  and  the  balloons,  firmly  secured, 
one  within  the  other,  were  altogether  finished.  They  had 
been  subjected  to  a  powerful  pneumatic  pressure  in  all 
parts,  and  the  test  gave  excellent  evidence  of  their  solid- 
ity and  of  the  care  applied  in  their  construction. 

Joe  hardly  knew  what  he  was  about,  with  delight.  He 
trotted  incessantly  to  and  fro  between  his  home  in  Greek 
Street,  and  the  Mitchell  establishment,  always  full  of  busi- 
ness, but  always  in  the  highest  spirits,  giving  details  o{  the 
affair  to  people  who  did  not  even  ask  him,  so  proud  was 
he,  above  all  things,  of  being  permitted  to  accompany  his 
master.  I  have  even  a  shrewd  suspicion  that  what  with 
showing  the  balloon,  explaining  the  plans  and  views  of  the 
doctor,  giving  folks  a  glimpse  of  the  latter,  through  a  half- 
opened  window,  or  pointing  him  out  as  he  passed  along 
llie  streets,  the  clever  scamp  earned  a  few  half-crowns,  but 
we  must  not  find  fault  with  him  for  that.  He  had  as 
much  right  as  anybody  else  to  speculate  upon  the  admira- 
tion and  curiosity  of  his  contemporaries. 

On  the  16th  of  February,  the  Resolute  cast  anchor  near 
Greenwich.  She  was  a  screw  propeller  of  eight  hundred 
^ons,  a  fast  sailer,  and  the  very  vessel  that  had  been  sent 


THIS   OOKMA>'DES   OF   THE   RESOLUTE.  57 

out  to  the  polar  regions,  to  revictual  the  last  expedition 
of  Sir  James  Ross,  Her  commander,  Captain  Bennet,  had 
che  name  of  being  a  very  amiable  person,  and  he  took  a 
particular  interest  in  the  doctor's  expedition,  having  been 
one  of  that  gentleman's  admirers  for  a  long  time.  Bennet 
was  rather  a  man  of  science  than  a  man  of  war,  which 
did  not,  however,  prevent  his  vessel  from  carrying  four 
carronades,  that  had  never  hurt  any  body,  to  be  sure,  but 
had  performed  the  most  pacific  duty  in  the  world. 

The  hold  of  the  Resolute  was  so  arranged  as  to  find  a 
etowing-place  for  the  balloon.  The  latter  was  shipped 
with  the  greatest  precaution  on  the  18th  of  February,  and 
was  then  carefully  deposited  at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  in 
such  a  way  as  to  prevent  accident.  The  car  and  its  ac- 
cessories, the  anchors,  the  cords,  the  supplies,  the  water- 
tank«,  which  were  to  be  filled  on  arriving,  all  were  em- 
barked and  put  away  under  Ferguson's  own  eyes. 

Ten  tons  of  sulphuric  acid  and  ten  tons  of  iron  filings, 
were  put  on  board  for  the  future  production  of  the  hydro- 
gen gas.  The  quantity  was  more  than  enough,  but  it  was 
well  to  be  provided  against  accident.  The  apparatus  to 
be  employed  in  manufacturing  the  gas,  including  some 
thirty  empty  casks,  was  also  stowed  away  in  the  hold. 

These  various  preparations  were  terminated  on  the 
1 8th  of  February,  in  the  evening.  Two  state-rooms,  com 
fortably  fitted  up,  were  ready  for  the  reception  of  Dr. 
Ferguson  and  his  friend  Kennedy.  The  latter,  all  the 
while  swearing  that  he  would  not  go,  went  on  board  with 
a  regular  arsenal  of  hunting  weapons,  among  which  were 
two  double-barrelled  breech-loading  fowling-pieces,  and  a 
rifle  that  had  withstood  every  test,  of  the  make  of  Pur- 
dey,  Moore  &  Dickson,  at  Edinburgh.  With  such  a  weap- 
on a  marksman  would  find  no  difiiculty  in  lodging  a 
bullet  in  the  eye  of  a  chamois  at  the  distance  of  two  thou- 
land  paces.     Along  with  these  implements,  he  had  two 


58  nvj£  WEEKS  nr  a  BAU/xys, 

of  Colt's  six-shooters,  for  unforeseen  emergencies.  Hia 
powder-case,  his  cartridge-pouch,  his  lead,  and  his  bul  ets, 
(lid  not  exceed  a  certain  weight  prescribed  by  the  doc 
tor. 

The  three  travellers  got  themselves  to  rights  on  board 
during  the  working-hours  of  February  19th.  They  were 
received  with  much  distinction  by  the  captain  and  his 
officers,  the  doctor  continuing  as  reserved  as  ever,  and 
thinking  of  nothing  but  his  expedition.  Dick  seemed  a 
good  deal  moved,  but  was  unwilling  to  betray  it ;  while 
Joe  was  fairly  dancing  and  breaking  out  in  laughable  re- 
marks. The  worthy  fellow  soon  became  the  jester  and 
merry-andrew  of  the  boatswain's  mess,  where  a  berth  had 
been  kppt  for  him. 

On  the  20th,  a  grand  farewell  dinner  was  given  to  Dr. 
Ferguson  and  Kennedy  by  the  Royal  Geographical  Soci- 
ety. Commander  Bennet  and  his  officers  were  present 
at  the  entertainment,  which  was  signalized  by  copious 
libations  and  numerous  toasts.  Healths  were  drunk,  in 
sufficient  abundance  to  guarantee  all  the  guests  a  lifetime 

of  centuries.     Sir  Francis  M presided,  with  restrained 

but  dignified  feelinsr. 

To  his  own  supreme  confusion,  Dick  Kennedy  came 
in  for  a  large  share  in  the  jovial  felicitations  of  the  night. 
After  having  dnmk  to  the  "  intrepid  Ferguson,  the  glory 
of  England,"  they  had  to  drink  to  "the  no  less  coura- 
geous Kennedy,  his  daring  companion." 

Dick  blushed  a  good  deal,  and  that  passed  for  mod- 
esty ;  whereupon  the  applause  redoubled,  and  Dick  blush 
ed  again. 

A  message  from  the  Queen  arrived  while  they  were  a; 
dessert,  ller  Majesty  offi3red  her  compliments  to  the  two 
travellers,  and  expressed  her  wishes  for  their  safe  and 
successful  journey.  This,  of  course,  rendered  imperative 
fresh  toasts  to  "  Her  most  gracious  Majesty." 


THE  DEPAKTHRE.  59 

At  midnight,  after  touching  farewells  and  wann  shalc- 
big  of  hands,  the  guests  separated. 

Tlie  boats  of  the  Resolute  were  in  waiting  at  the  stairs 
of  Westminster  Bridge.  The  captain  leaped  in,  accom- 
panied by  his  officers  and  passengers,  and  the  rapid  cur 
rent  of  the  Thames,  aiding  the  strong  arms  of  the  rowers, 
bore  them  swiftly  to  Greenwich.  In  an  hour's  time  a]l 
were  asleep  on  board. 

The  next  morning,  February  21st,  at  three  o'clock,  the 
furnaces  began  to  roar ;  at  five,  the  anchors  were  weighed, 
and  the  Hesolute,  powerfully  driven  by  her  screw,  began 
to  plough  the  water  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Thames. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  topic  of  conversation  with 
every  one  on  board  was  Dr.  Ferguson's  enterprise.  See- 
ing and  hearing  the  doctor  soon  inspired  everybody  with 
such  confidence  that,  in  a  very  short  time,  there  was  no 
one,  excepting  the  incredulous  Scotchman,  on  the  steamer 
who  had  the  least  doubt  of  the  perfect  feasibility  and 
success  of  the  expedition. 

During  the  long,  unoccupied  hours  of  the  voyage,  the 
doctor  held  regular  sittings,  with  lectures  on  geographical 
science,  in  the  oflicers'  mess-room.  These  young  men  felt 
an  intense  interest  in  the  discoveries  made  during  the  last 
forty  years  in  Africa ;  and  the  doctor  related  to  them  the 
explorations  of  Barth,  Burton,  Speke,  and  Grant,  and  de- 
picted the  wonders  of  this  vast,  mysterious  country,  now 
thrown  open  on  all  sides  to  the  investigations  of  science. 
Ou  the  north,  the  young  Duveyrier  was  exploring  Sahara, 
and  bringing  the  chiefs  of  the  Touaj  egs  to  Paris.  Under 
the  inspiration  of  the  French  Government,  two  expeditions 
wei'e  preparing,  which,  descending  from  the  north,  and 
coming  from  the  west,  would  cross  each  other  at  Tim- 
buctoo.  In  the  south,  the  indefatigable  Livingstone  was 
BtiU  advancing  toward  the  equator;  and,  since  March, 
18C2,  he  had,  in  company  with  Mackenzie,  ascended  the 


60  Fiy£    WB£KS    IN    A    BALLOON. 

river  Rovoonia.  The  nineteenth  century  would,  assuredly, 
not  pass,  contended  the  doctor,  without  Africa  having 
been  compelled  to  surrender  the  secrets  she  has  kept 
locked  up  in  her  bosom  for  six  thousand  years. 

But  the  interest  of  Dr.  Ferguson's  hearers  was  excited 
to  the  highest  pitch  when  he  made  known  to  them,  in 
detail,  the  preparations  for  his  own  journey.  They  took 
pleasure  in  verifying  his  calculations ;  they  didcussed 
them ;  and  the  doctor  frankly  took  part  Ln  the  discussion. 

As  a  general  thing,  they  were  surprised  at  the  limited 
quantity  of  provision  that  he  took  with  him ;  and  one  day 
one  of  the  officers  questioned  him  on  that  subject. 

"That  peculiar  point  astonishes  you,  does  it?"  said 
Ferguson. 

"  It  does,  indeed." 

"  But  how  long  do  you  think  my  trip  is  going  to  last  ? 
Whole  months  ?  If  so,  you  are  greatly  mistaken.  "Were 
it  to  be  a  long  one,  we  should  be  lost ;  we  should  never 
get  back.  But  you  must  know  that  the  distance  from 
Zanzibar  to  the  coast  of  Senegal  is  only  thirty-five  hun- 
dred— say  four  thousand  miles.  Well,  at  the  rate  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  miles  every  twelve  hours,  which  does 
not  come  near  the  rapidity  of  our  railroad  trains,  by  trav- 
elling day  and  night,  it  would  take  only  seven  days  to 
cross  Africa ! " 

"  But  then  you  could  see  nothing,  make  no  geograph- 
ical observations,  or  reconnoitre  the  face  of  the  conn- 
try." 

"  Ah  1 "  replied  the  doctor,  "  if  I  am  master  of  my 
balloon — if  I  can  ascend  and  descend  at  will,  I  shall  stop 
when  I  please,  especially  when  too  violent  currents  of  aii 
threaten  to  carry  me  out  of  my  way  with  them." 

"  And  you  will  encounter  such,"  said  Captain  Bennet. 
"  There  are  tornadoes  that  sweep  at  the  rate  of  more  than 
two  hundred  and  forty  miles  per  hour." 


SPEED   OF    THE    BALLOOU.  61 

"  You  see,  then,  that  with  such  speed  as  that,  we  could 
cross  Africa  in  twelve  hours.  One  would  rise  at  Zanzibar, 
and  go  to  bed  at  St.  Louis !  " 

"  But,"  rejoined  the  officer;  "  could  any  balloon  with- 
stand the  wear  and  tear  of  such  velocity  ?  " 

"  It  has  happened  before,"  replied  Ferguson. 

"  And  the  balloon  withstood  it  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  well.  It  was  at  the  time  c  f  the  coronation 
of  Napoleon,  in  1804.  The  aeronaut,  Gamerin,  sent  up  a 
balloon  at  Paris,  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  It 
bore  the  following  inscription,  in  letters  of  gold :  '  Paris, 
26  Frimaire ;  year  XIII ;  Coronation  of  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon by  his  Holiness,  Pius  VII.'  On  the  next  morning, 
the  inhabitants  of  Rome  saw  the  same  balloon  soaring 
above  the  Vatican,  whence  it  crossed  the  Campagna,  and 
finally  fluttered  down  into  the  lake  of  Bracciano.  So  you 
Bee,  gentlemen,  that  a  balloon  can  resist  such  velocities." 

"  A  balloon — that  might  be ;  but  a  man  ?  "  insinuated 
Kennedy. 

"  Yes,  a  man,  too  I — for  the  balloon  is  always  motion- 
less with  reference  to  the  air  that  surrounds  it.  What 
moves  is  the  mass  of  the  atmosphere  itself:  for  instance, 
one  may  light  a  taper  in  the  car,  and  the  flame  will  not 
even  waver.  An  aeronaut  in  Gamerin's  balloon  would  not 
have  suffered  in  the  least  from  the  speed.  But  then  T 
have  no  occasion  to  attempt  such  velocity ;  and  if  I  can 
anchor  to  some  tree,  or  some  favorable  inequality  of  the 
ground,  at  night,  I  shall  not  fail  to  do  so.  Besides,  we 
take  provision  for  two  months  with  us,  after  all ;  and  there 
18  nothing  to  prevent  our  skilful  huntsman  here  from  fur- 
nisliing  game  in  abundance  when  we  come  to  alight." 

"  Ah  1  Mr.  Kennedy,"  said  a  young  midshipman,  with 
envious  eyes,  "  what  splendid  shots  you'll  have  1 " 

"  Without  counting,"  said  another  "  that  you'll  have 
the  glory  as  well  as  the  sport ! " 


62  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BAIXOOH 

"  Gentlemen,"  replied  the  hunter,  stammermg  with 
confusion,  "  I  greatly — appreciate — your  compliments— 
but  they — don't — belong  to  me." 

"  You  1 "  exclaimed  every  body,  "  don't  you  intend  U 
go?" 

"  I  am  not  going  1 " 

"  You  won't  accompany  Dr.  Ferguson  ?  " 

"  Not  only  shall  I  not  accompany  him,  but  I  am  here 
BO  as  to  be  present  at  the  last  moment  to  prevent  hie 
going." 

Every  eye  was  now  turned  to  the  doctor. 

"  Never  mind  him  I  "  said  the  latter,  calmly.  "  This  is 
a  matter  that  we  can't  argue  with  him.  At  heart  he  knows 
perfectly  well  that  he  is  going." 

"  By  Saint  Andrew  I  "  said  Kennedy,  "  I  swear — " 

"  Swear  to  nothing,  friend  Dick  ;  you  have  been 
gauged  and  weighed — you  and  your  powder,  your  guns, 
and  your  bullets ;  so  don't  let  us  say  anything  more  about 
it." 

And,  in  fact,  from  that  day  until  the  arrival  at  Zanzi- 
bar, Dick  never  opened  his  mouth.  He  talked  neither 
about  that  nor  about  anything  else.  He  kept  aoBofatel^ 
silent. 


CHAPTER   NINTH. 

Fhey  doable  the  Cape.— The  Forecastle.— A  Ciouree  of  Cosmography  by  flrt*- 
feasor  Joe. — Concerning  the  Method  of  gnldlng  BaUoons. — How  to  Book  oat 
Atmospheric  Curreuts. — Eureka. 

The  Resolute  plunged  along  rapidly  toward  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  the  weather  continuing  fine,  although  the 
sea  ran  heavier. 

On  the  30th  cf  March,  twenty-seven  days  after  the  de- 
parture from  London,  the  Table  Mountain  loomed  up  on 
the  horizon.  Cape  City  lying  at  the  foot  of  an  amphi- 
theatre of  hilla,  could  be  distinguished  through  the  ship's 
glasses,  and  soon  the  Resolute  cast  anchor  in  the  port. 
But  the  captain  touched  there  only  to  replenish  his  coal 
bunkers,  and  that  was  but  a  day's  job.  On  the  morrow, 
he  steered  away  to  the  south'ard,  so  as  to  double  the 
southernmost  point  of  Africa,  and  enter  the  Mozambique 
Channel. 

This  was  not  Joe's  first  sea-voyage,  and  so,  for  his 
p&rt,  he  soon  found  himself  at  home  on  board ;  every  body 
liked  him  for  his  frankness  ind  good-humor.  A  consider- 
able share  of  his  master's  renown  was  reflected  upon  him. 
He  was  listened  to  as  an  oracle,  and  he  made  no  more 
mistakes  than  the  next  one. 

So,  while  the  doctor  was  pursuing  his  descriptive 
course  of  lecturing  in  the  officers'  mess,  Joe  reigned  su- 
preme on  the  forecastle,  holding  forth  in  his  own  peculiar 
manner,  and  making  history  to  suit  himself — a  style  of 


64  FTTE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

procedure  pursued,  by  tlie  way,  by  the  greatest  hiBtoriani 
of  all  ages  and  nations. 

The  topic  of  discourse  was,  naturally,  the  aSrial  voyage. 
Joe  had  experienced  some  trouble  in  getting  the  rebellious 
spirits  to  believe  in  it ;  but,  once  accepted  by  them,  no- 
thing connected  with  it  was  any  longer  an  impossibility 
to  the  imaginations  of  the  seamen  stimulated  by  Joe's 
harangues. 

Our  dazzling  narrator  persuaded  his  hearers  that,  after 
this  trip,  many  others  still  more  wonderful  would  be  under- 
taken. In  fact,  it  was  to  be  but  the  first  of  a  long  series 
of  superhuman  expeditions. 

"  You  see,  my  friends,  when  a  man  has  had  a  taste  of 
that  kind  of  travelling,  he  can't  get  along  afterward  with 
any  other ;  so,  on  our  next  expedition,  instead  of  going 
off  to  one  side,  we'll  go  right  ahead,  going  up,  too,  all  the 
time." 

"  Humph  1  then  you'll  go  to  the  moon  1 "  said  one  of 
the  crowd,  with  a  stare  of  amazement. 

"  To  the  moon  1 "  exclaimed  Joe,  "  To  the  moon  !  pooh ! 
that's  too  common.  Every  body  might  go  to  the  moon, 
that  way.  Besides,  there's  no  water  there,  and  you  have 
to  carry  such  a  lot  of  it  along  with  you.  Then  you  have 
to  take  air  along  in  bottles,  so  as  to  breathe." 

"  Ay !  ay  I  that's  all  right !  But  can  a  man  get  a 
drop  of  the  real  stuff  there  ?  "  said  a  sailor  who  Uked  his 
toddy. 

"  Not  a  drop  1 "  was  Joe*8  answer.  "  No !  old  fellow, 
not  in  the  moon.  But  we're  going  to  skip  round  among 
those  little  twinklers  up  there — the  stars — and  the  splen- 
did planets  that  my  old  man  so  often  talks  about.  For 
instance,  we'll  commence  with  Saturn — " 

"  That  one  with  the  ring  ?  "  asked  the  boatswain. 

"  Yes !  the  wedding-ring — only  no  one  knows  what'f 
beoome  of  his  wife  ! " 


OOBMOGKAPHT    BY    PROFE880B   JOE,  65 

"  What  ?  wUl  you  go  so  high  up  as  that  ?  "  said  cue  of 
the  ship-boys,  gaping  with  wonder.  "  Why,  your  master 
must  be  Old  Nick  himself." 

"  Oh  !  no,  he's  too  good  for  that." 

"  But,  after  Saturn — what  then  ?  "  was  the  next  inquiry 
of  his  impatient  audience. 

"After  Saturn?  Well,  we'll  visit  Jupiter.  A  funny 
place  that  is,  too,  where  the  days  are  only  nine  hours  and 
a  half  long — a  good  thing  for  the  lazy  fellows — and  the 
years,  would  you  believe  it — last  twelve  of  ours,  which  is 
fine  for  folks  who  have  only  six  months  to  live.  They  get 
off  a  little  longer  by  that." 

"  Twelve  years !  "  ejaculated  the  boy. 

"  Yes,  my  youngster ;  so  that  in  that  country  you'd  be 
toddling  after  your  mammy  yet,  and  that  old  chap  yonder, 
who  looks  about  fifty,  would  only  be  a  little  shaver  of  four 
and  a  hal£" 

"  Blazes !  that's  a  good  'un  I  "  shouted  the  whole  fore- 
castle together. 

"  Solemn  truth  !  "  said  Joe,  stoutly. 

"  But  what  can  you  expect  ?  When  people  will  stay  m 
this  world,  they  learn  nothing  and  keep  as  ignorant  as 
bears.     But  just  come  along  to  Jupiter  and  you'll  see. 
But  they  have  to  look  out  up  there,  for  he's  got  satellite 
that  are  not  just  the  easiest  things  to  pass." 

All  the  men  laughed,  but  they  more  than  half  believed 
hirn.  Then  he  went  on  to  talk  about  Neptune,  where  sea- 
faring men  get  a  jovial  reception,  and  Mars,  where  the 
fidlitary  get  the  best  of  the  sidewalk  to  such  an  extent 
f  hat  folks  can  hardly  stand  it.  Finally,  he  drew  them  a 
Ltaveuly  picture  of  the  delights  of  Venus. 

"  And  when  we  get  back  fi-om  that  expedition,"  said 
Iht  indefatigable  narrator,  "  they'll  decorate  us  with  the 
Southern  Cross  that  shines  up  there  in  the  Creator's  button 
hole. 


66  ITTB   WEEKS   IN   A  BALLOOV. 

"  Ay,  and  you'd  have  well  earned  it  1 "  said  the 
Bailors. 

Thus  passed  the  long  evenings  on  the  forecastle  in 
merry  chat,  and  during  the  same  time  the  doctor  went  on 
with  his  instructive  discourses. 

One  day  the  conversation  turned  upon  the  means  of 
directing  balloons,  and  the  doctor  was  asked  his  opinion 
about  it. 

"  I  don't  think,"  said  he,  "  that  we  shaU  succeed  in  find- 
ing out  a  system  of  directing  them.  I  am  familiar  with 
all  the  plans  attempted  and  proposed,  and  not  one  has 
succeeded,  not  one  is  practicable.  You  may  readily  under- 
stand that  I  have  occupied  my  mind  with  this  subject, 
which  was,  necessarily,  so  interesting  to  me,  but  I  have 
not  been  able  to  solve  the  problem  with  the  appliances 
now  known  to  mechanical  science.  "We  would  have  to 
discover  a  motive  power  of  extraordinary  force,  and  al- 
most impossible  lightness  of  machinery.  And,  even  then, 
we  could  not  resist  atmospheric  currents  of  any  consider- 
able strength.  Until  now,  the  effort  has  been  rather  to 
direct  the  car  than  the  balloon,  and  that  has  been  one 
great  error." 

"  StUl  there  are  many  points  of  resemblance  between  a 
balloon  and  a  ship  which  is  directed  at  will." 

"  Not  at  all,"  retorted  the  doctor,  "  there  is  little  or  no 
similarity  between  the  two  cases.  Air  is  infinitely  less 
dense  than  water,  in  which  the  ship  is  only  half  submerged, 
while  the  whole  bulk  of  a  balloon  is  plunged  in  the  atmos- 
phere, and  remains  motionless  with  reference  to  the  element 
that  surrounds  it." 

"  You  think,  then,  that  aerostatic  science  has  said  its 
last  word?" 

"  Not  at  all !  not  at  all !  But  we  must  look  for  another 
point  in  the  case,  and  if  we  cannot  manage  to  guide  our 
balloon,  we  must,  at  least,  try  to  keep  it  in  favorable  aSria] 


ABCENDINO    LSTD  DESOSNDmO.  67 

currents.  In  proportion  as  wo  ascend,  the  latter  become 
much  more  uuiform  and  flow  more  constantly  in  one  direo 
tion.  They  are  no  longer  disturbed  by  the  mountains  and 
valleys  that  traverse  the  surface  of  the  globe,  and  these, 
you  know,  are  tlie  chief  cause  of  the  variations  of  the  wind 
and  the  inequality  of  their  force.  Therefore,  these  zones 
having  been  once  determined,  the  balloon  will  merely  have 
to  be  placed  in  the  currents  best  adapted  to  its  destina- 
tion." 

"  But  then,"  continued  Captain  Bennet,  "  in  order  to 
reach  them,  you  must  keep  constantly  ascending  or  de- 
Bcending.     That  is  the  ^eal  difficulty,  doctor." 

"  And  why,  my  dear  captain  ?  " 

"  Let  us  imderstand  one  another.  It  would  be  a  diffi- 
culty and  an  obstacle  only  for  long  journeys,  and  not  for 
short  aerial  excursions." 

"  And  why  so,  if  you  please?  " 

"  Because  you  can  ascend  only  by  throwing  out  ballast; 
you  can  descend  only  after  letting  off  gas,  and  by  these 
processes  your  ballast  and  your  gas  are  soon  exhausted." 

"  My  dear  sir,  that's  the  whole  question.  There  is  the 
only  difficulty  that  science  need  now  seek  to  overcome. 
The  problem  is  not  how  to  guide  the  balloon,  but  how  to 
take  it  up  and  down  without  expending  the  gas  which  is 
its  strength,  its  life-blood,  its  soul,  if  I  may  use  the  expres- 
sion." 

"  You  are  right,  my  dear  doctor ;  but  this  problem  is 
not  yet  solved  ;  this  means  has  not  yet  been  discovered." 

"  I  bog  your  pardon,  it  has  been  discovered." 

"  By  whom  ?  » 

"  By  me !  " 

"By  you?" 

"  You  may  readily  believe  that  otherwise  I  should  not 
have  risked  this  expedition  across  Africa  in  a  balloon.  Id 
t"wenty-four  hours  I  should  have  been  without  g^is  I  " 


(58  ITVIB  WEEKS   m  A  BAIXOOBT. 

"  But  you  said  nothing  about  that  in  England  ?  " 

"  No  I  I  did  not  want  to  have  myself  overhauled  in 
public.  I  saw  no  use  in  that.  I  made  my  preparatory  ex- 
periments in  secret  and  was  satisfied.  I  have  no  occasion, 
then,  to  learn  any  thing  more  from  them." 

"  Well !  doctor,  would  it  he  proper  to  ask  what  is 
your  secret  ?  " 

"  Here  it  is,  gentlemen — the  simplest  thing  in  the 
world  I" 

The  attention  of  his  auditory  was  now  directed  to  the 
doctor  in  the  utmost  degree  as  he  quietly  proceeded  with 
hi3  explanation. 


CHAPTER  TENTa 

▼onner  Expeffcenta.— The  Doctor's  Five  Receptaclefl.— The  Qm  Cj  Under  .- 

The  Calorifere.— The  System  of  Manoeuvring.— SuccesB  certain. 

"  The  attempt  has  often  been  made,  gentlemen,"  said 
the  doctor,  "  to  rise  and  descend  at  will,  without  losing 
ballast  or  gas  from  the  balloon.  A  French  aeronaut,  M. 
Meunier,  tried  to  accomplish  this  by  compressing  air  in  an 
inner  receptacle.  A  Belgian,  Dr.  Van  Hecke,  by  means 
of  wings  and  paddles,  obtained  a  vertical  power  that  would 
have  sufficed  in  most  cases,  but  the  practical  results  se- 
cured from  these  experiments  have  been  insignificant. 

"  I  therefore  resolved  to  go  about  the  thing  more  di- 
rectly ;  so,  at  the  start,  I  dispensed  with  ballast  altogether 
excepting  as  a  provision  for  cases  of  special  emergency, 
such  as  the  breakage  of  my  apparatus,  or  the  necessity  ol 
ascending  very  suddenly,  so  as  to  avoid  unforeseen  ob- 
stacles. 

"  My  means  of  ascent  and  descent  consist  simply  in  di- 
lating or  contracting  the  gas  that  is  in  the  balloon  by  the 
application  of  different  temperatures,  and  here  is  the 
metliod  of  obtaining  that  result. 

"  You  saw  me  bring  on  board  with  the  car  several 
cases  or  receptacles,  the  use  of  which  you  may  not  have 
understood.     They  are  five  in  number. 

"  The  first  contains  about  twenty-five  gallons  of  water, 
to  which  I  add  a  few  drops  of  sulphuric  acid,  so  as  to  aug- 
ment it!  capacity  as  a  conductor  of  electricity,  and  then  I 


70  ITVB  WEEJiS    IN   A  BALLOON. 

decompose  it  by  means  of  a  powerful  Buntzen  battery 
Water,  as  you  know,  consists  of  two  parts  of  hydrogen  to 
one  of  oxygen  gas. 

"  The  latter,  through  the  action  of  the  battery,  passes 
at  its  positive  pole  into  the  second  receptacle.  A  third 
receptacle,  placed  above  the  second  one,  and  of  double  its 
capacity,  receives  the  hydrogen  passing  into  it  by  the 
negative  pole. 

"  Stopcocks,  of  which  one  has  an  orifice  twice  the  size 
of  the  other,  communicate  between  these  receptacles  and 
a  fourth  one,  which  is  called  the  mixture  reservoir^  since  in 
it  the  two  gases  obtained  by  the  decomposition  of  the 
water  do  really  commingle.  The  capacity  of  this  fourth 
tank  is  about  forty-one  cubic  feet. 

"  On  the  upper  part  of  this  tank  is  a  platinum  tube  pro- 
vided with  a  stopcock. 

"  You  will  now  readily  understand,  gentlemen,  the  ap- 
paratus that  I  have  described  to  you  is  really  a  gas  cylin- 
der and  blow-pipe  for  oxygen  and  hydrogen,  the  heat  of 
which  exceeds  that  of  a  forge  fire. 

"  This  much  established,  I  proceed  to  the  second  part 
of  my  apparatus.  From  the  lowest  part  of  my  balloon, 
which  is  hermetically  closed,  issue  two  tubes  a  little  dis- 
tance apart.  The  one  starts  among  the  upper  layers  of  the 
hydrogen  gas,  the  other  amid  tlie  lower  layers. 

"  These  two  pipes  are  provided  at  intervals  with  strong 
jointings  of  india-rubber,  which  enable  them  to  moye  in 
harmony  with  the  oscillations  of  the  balloon. 

"  Both  of  them  run  down  as  far  as  the  car,  and  lose 
themselves  in  an  iron  receptacle  of  cylindrical  form,  which 
is  called  the  heat-tank.  The  latter  is  closed  at  its  two 
ends  by  two  strong  plates  of  the  same  metal. 

"  The  pipe  running  from  the  lower  part  of  the  balloon 
runs  into  this  cylindrical  receptacle  through  the  lowei 
plate ;  it  penetrates  the  latter  and  then  takes  the  form  of 


THE   CALOKIFEEB.  71 

%  helicoidal  or  screw-shaped  spiral,  the  rings  of  which, 
4sing  one  over  the  other,  occupy  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
height  of  the  tank.  Before  again  issuing  from  it,  this  spi- 
ral runs  into  a  small  cone  with  a  concave  base,  that  is 
turned  downward  in  the  shape  of  a  spherical  cap. 
\  "  It  is  from  the  top  of  this  cone  that  the  second  pipe 
issues,  and  it  runs,  as  I  have  said,  into  tho  upper  beds  of 
the  balloon. 

"  The  spherical  cap  of  the  small  cone  is  of  platinum,  so 
as  not  to  melt  by  the  action  of  the  cylinder  and  blow-])ipe, 
for  the  latter  are  placed  upon  the  bottom  of  the  iron  tank 
in  the  midst  of  the  helicoidal  spiral,  and  the  extremity  of 
their  flame  will  slightly  touch  the  cap  in  question. 

"  You  all  know,  gentlemen,  what  a  calorifere,  to  heat 
apartments,  is.  You  know  how  it  acts.  The  air  of  the 
apartments  is  forced  to  pass  through  its  pipes,  and  is  then 
released  with  a  heightened  temperature.  Well,  what  I 
have  just  described  to  you  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a 
calorifer. 

"  In  fact,  what  is  it  that  takes  place  ?  The  cylinder 
once  lighted,  the  hydrogen  in  the  spiral  and  in  the  con- 
cave cone  becomes  heated,  and  rapidly  ascends  through 
the  pipe  that  leads  to  the  upper  part  of  the  balloon.  A 
vacuum  is  created  below,  and  it  attracts  the  gas  in  the 
lower  parts ;  this  becomes  heated  in  its  turn,  and  is  con- 
tinually replaced ;  thus,  an  extremely  rapid  current  of  gas 
ia  established  in  the  pipes  and  in  the  spiral,  which  issues 
from  the  balloon  and  then  returns  to  it,  and  is  heated  over 
again,  incessantly. 

"  Now,  the  gases  increase  ^^  of  their  volume  for  each 
degree  of  heat  applied.  If,  then,  I  force  the  temperature 
18  degrees,  the  hydrogen  of  the  balloon  will  dilate  -^  or 
1614  cubic  feet,  and  will,  therefore,  displace  1614  more 
cubic  feet  of  air,  which  will  increase  its  ascensional  power 
by  160  pounds.     This  is  equivalent  to  throwing  out  that 


7J  FIVB   WBBK8   IN   A   BAIJ.OON. 

weight  of  ballast.  If  I  augment  the  temperature  by  180 
degrees,  the  gas  will  dilate  ^|^  and  will  displace  16,740 
cubic  feet  more,  and  its  ascensional  force  will  be  augmented 
by  1,600  pounds. 

"Thus,  you  see,  gentlemen,  that  I  can  easily  effect 
very  considerable  changes  of  equilibrium.  The  volume  of 
the  balloon  has  been  calculated  in  such  manner  that,  when 
half  inflated,  it  displaces  a  weight  of  air  exactly  equal  to 
that  of  the  envelope  containing  the  hydrogen  gas,  aud  of 
the  car  occupied  by  the  passengers,  and  all  its  apparatus 
and  accessories.  At  this  point  of  inflation,  it  is  in  exact 
equilibrium  with  the  air,  and  neither  mounts  nor  descends. 

"  In  order,  then,  to  effect  an  ascent,  I  give  the  gas  a 
temperature  superior  to  the  temperature  of  the  surround- 
ing air  by  means  of  my  cylinder.  By  this  excess  of  heat 
it  obtains  a  larger  distention,  and  inflates  the  balloon 
more.  The  latter,  then,  ascends  in  proportion  as  I  heat 
I  he  hydrogen. 

"  The  descent,  of  course,  is  effected  by  lowering  the 
heat  of  the  cylinder,  and  letting  the  temperature  abate. 
The  ascent  would  be,  usually,  more  rapid  tban  the  descent ; 
but  that  is  a  fortunate  circumstance,  since  it  is  of  no  im- 
portance to  me  to  descend  rapidly,  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  is  by  a  very  rapid  ascent  that  I  avoid  obstacles. 
The  real  danger  lurks  below,  and  not  above. 

"  Besides,  as  I  have  said,  I  have  a  certain  quantity  of 
ballast,  which  will  enable  me  to  ascend  more  rapidly  still, 
when  necessary.  My  valve,  at  the  top  of  the  balloon,  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  safety-valve.  The  balloon 
always  retains  the  same  quantity  of  hydrogen,  and  the 
variations  of  temperature  that  I  produce  in  the  midst  of 
this  shut-up  gas  are,  of  themselves,  sufiicient  to  provide 
for  aU  these  ascending  and  descending  movements. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  as  a  practical  detail,  let  me  add 
this: 


febguson's  bbobst.  7S 

"  The  combuAtion  of  the  hydrogen  aud  of  the  oxygen 
at  the  point  of  the  cylinder  produces  solely  the  vapor  or 
Bteam  of  water.  I  have,  therefore,  provided  the  lower 
part  of  the  cylindrical  iron  box  with  a  scape-pipe,  with  a 
valve  operating  by  means  of  a  pressure  of  two  atmos- 
pheres; consequently,  so  soon  as  this  amount  of  pressure 
is  attained,  the  steam  escapes  of  itsel£ 

"Here  are  the  exact  figures:  25  gallons  of  water, 
separated  into  its  constituent  elements,  yield  2i)0  pounds 
of  oxygen  and  25  pounds  of  hydrogen.  This  represents, 
at  atmospheric  tension,  1,890  cubic  feet  of  the  former  and 
3,780  cubic  feet  of  the  latter,  or  5,670  cubic  feet,  in  all,  of 
the  mixture.  Hence,  the  stopcock  of  my  cylinder,  when 
ftdly  open,  expends  27  cubic  feet  per  hour,  with  a  flame  at 
least  six  times  as  strong  as  that  of  the  large  lamps  used 
for  lighting  streets.  On  an  average,  then,  and  in  order  to 
seep  myself  at  a  very  moderate  elevation,  I  should  not 
bum  more  than  nine  cubic  feet  per  hour,  so  that  my 
twenty-five  gallons  of  water  represent  six  himdred  and 
thirty-six  hours  of  aerial  navigation,  or  a  little  more  than 
twenty-six  days. 

"  "Well,  as  I  can  descend  when  I  please,  to  replenish  my 
stock  of  water  on  the  way,  my  trip  might  be  indefinitely 
prolonged. 

"Such,  gentlemen.  Is  my  secret.  It  is  simple,  and, 
like  most  simple  things,  it  cannot  fail  to  succeed.  The 
dilation  and  contraction  of  the  gas  in  the  balloon  is  my 
means  of  locomotion,  which  calls  for  neither  cumbersome 
wings,  nor  any  other  mechanical  motor.  A  calorifere  to 
produce  the  changes  of  temperature,  and  a  cylinder  to 
generate  the  heat,  are  neither  inconvenient  nor  heavy.  I 
think,  therefore,  that  I  have  combined  all  the  elements  of 
•uccess." 

Dr.  Ferguson  here  terminated  hie  discourse,  and  wai 


74 


FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 


most  heartily  applauded.     There  was  not  an  objection  to 
make  to  it ;  all  had  been  foreseen  and  decided. 

"  However,"  said  the  captain,  "the  thing  may  prove 
dangerous." 

"  What  matters  that,"  replied  the  ioctor,  "  provided 
that  it  be  practicable?" 


CHAPTER    ELEVENTH. 

rh«  Arrlral  at  Zanzibar.— The  English  Consul.— Ill-will  of  the  nhabitanta.— Th« 
Island  of  Eonmbeni. — The  Rain -Makers, — Inflation  of  the  Balloon.— Depart 
ore  on  the  18th  of  April.- The  last  Gk)od-by.— The  Victoria. 

An  invariably  favorable  wind  had  accelerated  the 
progress  of  the  Hesolute  toward  the  place  of  her  destina- 
tion. The  navigation  of  the  Mozambique  Channel  was 
especially  calm  and  pleasant.  The  agreeable  character  of 
the  trip  by  sea  was  regarded  as  a  good  omen  of  the  prob- 
able issue  of  the  trip  through  the  air.  Every  one  looked 
forward  to  the  hour  of  arrival,  and  sought  to  give  the  last 
touch  to  the  doctor's  preparations. 

At  length  the  vessel  hove  in  sight  of  the  town  of  Zan- 
zibar, upon  the  island  of  the  same  name,  and,  on  the  15th 
of  April,  at  1 1  o'clock  in  the  morning,  she  anchored  in  the 
port. 

The  island  of  Zanzibar  belongs  to  the  Imaum  of  Mus- 
cat, an  ally  of  France  and  England,  and  is,  undoubtedly, 
his  finest  settlement.  The  port  is  frequented  by  a  great 
many  vessels  from  the  neighboring  countries. 

The  island  is  separated  from  the  African  coast  only  by 
a  channel,  the  greatest  width  of  which  is  but  thirty  miles. 

It  has  a  large  trade  in  gums,  ivory,  and,  above  all,  in 
'*  ebony,"  for  Zanzibar  is  the  great  slave-market.  Thither 
converges  all  the  booty  captured  in  the  battles  which  the 
chiefs  ol  the  interior  are  continually  fighting.  This  traffic 
extends  along  the  whole  eastern  coast,  and  as  far  as  the 


76  FIVE    WEEKS    IN    A   BALLOOH. 

Nile  latitudes.  Mr.  G.  Lejean  even  reports  that  he  haa 
seen  it  carried  on,  openly,  under  the  French  flag. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  Resolute^  the  English  consul  at 
Zanzibar  came  on  board  to  offer  his  services  to  the  doctor, 
of  whose  projects  the  European  newspapers  had  made  him 
aware  for  a  month  past.  But,  up  to  that  moment,  he  had 
remained  with  the  numerous  phalanx  of  the  incredulous. 

"  I  doubted,"  said  he,  holding  out  his  hand  to  Dr.  Fer- 
guson, "  but  now  I  doubt  no  longer." 

He  m^-ited  the  doctor,  Kennedy,  and  the  faithful  Joe, 
of  course,  to  his  own  dwelling.  Through  his  courtesy, 
the  doctor  was  enabled  to  have  knowledge  of  the  various 
letters  that  he  had  received  from  Captain  Speke.  The 
captain  and  his  companions  had  suffered  dreadfully  from 
hunger  and  bad  weather  before  reaching  the  Ugogo  coun- 
try. They  could  advance  only  with  extreme  difficulty, 
and  did  not  expect  to  be  able  to  communicate  again  for 
a  long  time. 

"  Those  are  perils  and  privations  which  we  shall  man- 
age to  avoid,"  said  the  doctor. 

The  baggage  of  the  three  travellers  was  conveyed  to 
the  consul's  residence.  Arrangements  were  made  for  dis- 
embarking the  balloon  upon  the  beach  at  Zanzibar.  There 
was  a  convenient  spot,  near  the  signal-mast,  close  by  an 
mamense  building,  that  would  serve  to  shelter  it  from  the 
east  winds.  This  huge  tower,  resembling  a  tun  standing 
on  one  end,  beside  which  the  famous  Heidelberg  tun 
would  have  seemed  but  a  very  ordinary  barrel,  served  as 
a  fortification,  and  on  its  platform  were  stationed  Be- 
lootchees,  armed  with  lances.  These  Belootchees  are  a 
kind  of  brawling,  good-for-nothing  Janizaries. 

But,  when  about  to  land  the  balloon,  the  consul  wa? 
informed  that  the  population  of  the  island  would  oppose 
their  doing  so  by  force.  Nothing  is  so  blind  as  fanatical 
passioa     The  news  of  the  arrival  of  a  Christian,  who  was 


PKEOAUnONS.  77 

to  ascend  into  the  air,  was  received  with  rage.  The 
negroes,  more  exasperated  than  the  Arabs,  saw  in  this 
project  an  attack  upon  their  religion.  They  took  it  into 
their  heads  that  some  mischief  was  meant  to  the  sun  and 
the  moon.  Now,  these  two  luminaries  are  objects  of 
veneration  to  the  African  tribes,  and  they  determined  to 
oppose  so  sacrilegious  an  enterprise. 

The  consul,  informed  of  their  intentions,  conferred  with 
Dr.  Ferguson  and  Captain  Bennet  on  the  subject.  The 
latter  was  unwilling  to  yield  to  threats,  but  his  friend 
dissuaded  him  from  any  idea  of  violent  retaliation. 

"  We  shall  certainly  come  out  winners,"  he  said. 
"  Even  the  imaum's  soldiers  will  lend  us  a  hand,  if  we 
need  it.  But,  my  deai  captain,  an  accident  may  happen 
in  a  moment,  and  it  would  require  but  one  unlucky  blow 
to  do  the  balloon  an  irreparable  injury,  so  that  the  trip 
would  be  totally  defeated;  therefore  we  must  act  with 
the  greatest  caution." 

"  But  what  are  we  to  do  ?  If  we  land  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  we  shall  encounter  the  same  difficulties.  What 
are  we  to  do  ?  " 

"  Nothing  is  more  simple,"  replied  the  consul  "  You 
observe  those  small  islands  outside  of  the  port ;  land  your 
balloon  on  one  of  them ;  surround  it  with  a  guard  of 
sailors,  and  you  will  have  no  risk  to  run." 

"  Just  the  thing ! "  said  the  doctor,  "  and  we  shall  be 
antirely  at  our  ease  in  completing  our  preparations." 

The  captain  yielded  to  these  suggestions,  and  the 
Resolute  was  headed  for  the  island  of  Koumbeni.  During 
the  morning  of  the  16th  April,  the  balloon  was  placed  in 
safety  in  the  middle  of  a  clearing  in  the  great  woods, 
with  which  the  soil  is  studded. 

Two  masts,  eighty  feet  in  height,  were  raised  at  the 
same  distance  from  each  other.  Blocks  and  tackle,  placed 
at  their  extremities  afforded  the  means  of  elevating  the 


78  nvB  WEEKS  m  a  bJlLlooh. 

balloon,  by  the  aid  of  a  transverse  rope.  It  was  then  en^ 
tirely  uninflated  The  interior  balloon  was  fastened  to 
the  exterior  one,  in  such  manner  as  to  be  lifted  up  in  the 
same  way.  To  the  lower  end  of  each  balloon  were  fixed 
the  pipes  that  served  to  introduce  the  hydrogen  gas. 

The  whole  day,  on  the  llih,  was  spent  in  arranging 
the  apparatus  destined  to  produce  the  gas ;  it  consisted 
of  some  thirty  casks,  in  which  the  decomposition  of  water 
was  efi'ected  by  means  of  iron-filings  and  sulphuric  acid 
placed  together  in  a  large  quantity  of  the  first-named 
fluid.  The  hydrogen  passed  into  a  huge  central  cask, 
after  having  been  washed  on  the  way,  and  thence  into 
each  balloon  by  the  conduit-pipes.  In  this  manner  each 
of  them  received  a  certain  accurately-ascertained  quantity 
of  gas.  For  this  purpose,  there  had  to  be  employed 
eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-six  pounds  of  sulphuric  acid, 
sixteen  thousand  and  fifty  pounds  of  iron,  and  nine  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  sixty-six  gallons  of  water.  This 
operation  commenced  on  the  following  night,  about  three 
A.M.,  and  lasted  nearly  eight  hours.  The  next  day,  the 
balloon,  covered  with  its  network,  undulated  gracefully 
above  its  car,  which  was  held  to  the  ground  by  numerous 
sacks  of  earth.  The  inflating  apparatus  was  put  together 
nth  extreme  care,  and  the  pipes  issuing  from  the  balloon 
vrere  securely  fitted  to  the  cylindrical  case. 

The  anchors,  the  cordage,  the  instruments,  the  travel- 
ling-wraps, the  awning,  the  provisions,  and  the  arms,  were 
put  in  the  place  assigned  to  them  in  the  car.  The  supply 
of  water  was  procured  at  Zanzibar.  The  two  hundred 
pounds  of  ballast  were  distributed  in  fifty  bags  placed  at 
the  bottom  of  the  car,  but  within  arm's-reach. 

These  preparations  were  concluded  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  while  sentinels  kept  close  watch  around 
the  bland,  and  the  boats  of  the  Resolute  patrolled  the 
rhannel 


THB   FAEEWELL   KEPAST.  79 

The  blacks  continued  to  show  their  displeasure  by 
grimaces  and  contortions.  Their  obi-men,  or  wizards, 
went  up  and  down  among  the  angry  throngs,  pouring 
fael  on  the  flame  of  their  fanaticism;  and  some  of  the 
excited  wretches,  more  furious  and  daring  than  the  rest, 
attempted  to  get  to  the  island  by  swimming,  but  they 
were  easily  driven  off 

Thereupon  the  sorceries  and  incantations  commenced ; 
the  "  rain-makers,"  who  pretend  to  have  control  over  the 
clouds,  invoked  the  storms  and  the  "stone-showers,"  as 
the  blacks  call  hail,  to  their  aid.  To  compel  them  to  do 
so,  they  plucked  leaves  of  all  the  different  trees  that  grow 
in  that  country,  and  boiled  them  over  a  slow  fire,  while, 
at  the  same  time,  a  sheep  was  killed  by  thrusting  a  long 
needle  into  its  heart.  But,  in  spite  of  all  their  ceremonies, 
the  sky  remained  clear  and  beautiful,  and  they  profited 
nothing  by  their  slaughtered  sheep  and  their  ugly  grimaces. 

The  blacks  then  abandoned  themselves  to  the  most 
furious  orgies,  and  got  fearfully  di-uuk  on  "tembo,"  a 
kind  of  ardent  spirits  drawn  from  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  and 
an  extremely  heady  sort  of  beer  called  "togwa."  Their 
chants,  which  were  destitute  of  all  melody,  but  were  sung 
in  excellent  time,  continued  until  for  into  the  night. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  captain  assem- 
bled the  travellers  and  the  officers  of  the  ship  at  a  farewell 
repast  in  his  cabin.  Kennedy,  whom  nobody  ventured  to 
question  now,  sat  with  his  eyes  riveted  on  Dr.  Ferguson^ 
murmuring  indistinguishable  words.  In  other  respects, 
the  dinner  was  a  gloomy  one.  The  approach  of  t'tie  final 
moment  filled  everybody  with  the  most  serious  reflections. 
Wliat  had  fate  in  store  for  these  daring  adventurers? 
Should  they  ever  again  find  themselves  in  the  midst  of 
their  friends,  or  seated  at  the  domestic  hearth?  Were 
their  travelling  apparatus  to  fail,  what  would  become  of 
them,  among  those  ferocious  savage  tribes,  in  regions  tliat 


80  FIVB   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

had  never  been  explored,  and  in  the  midst  of  boundless 

deserts  ? 

Such  thoughts  as  these,  which  had  been  fJim  and  vague 
until  then,  or  but  slightly  regarded  when  they  came  up_ 
returned  upon  their  excited  fancies  with  intense  force  a 
this  parting  moment.  Dr.  Ferguson,  still  cold  and  impaa 
Bible,  talked  of  this,  that,  and  the  other;  but  he  strove 
in  vain  to  overcome  this  infectious  gloominess.  He  ut- 
terly failed. 

As  some  demonstration  against  the  personal  safety  of 
the  doctor  and  his  companions  was  feared,  aU  three  slept 
that  mght  on  board  the  Hbsolute.  At  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning  they  left  their  cabin,  and  landed  on  the  island  of 
Koumbeni. 

The  balloon  svas  swaying  gently  to  and  fro  in  the 
morning  breeze;  the  sand-bags  that  had  held  it  down 
were  now  replaced  by  rfome  twenty  strong-armed  sailors, 
and  Captain  Bennet.  and  Ms  officers  were  present  to  wit- 
ness the  solemn  departure  of  their  friends. 

At  this  moment  Kenned  >  went  right  up  to  the  doctor, 
grasped  his  hand,  and  said : 

"  Samuel,  have  you  absoluiely  determined  to  go  ?  " 

"  Solemnly  determined,  mv  dear  Dick." 

"I  have  done  every  thing  that  I  could  to  prevent  this 
expedition,  have  I  not  ?  " 

"  Every  thing !  " 

"  Well,  then,  my  conscience  is  clear  on  that  score,  and 
1  will  go  with  you." 

"  I  was  sure  you  would  ! "  said  the  doctor,  betraying 
in  his  features  swift  traces  of  emotion. 

At  last  the  moment  of  final  leave-taking  arrived.  The 
captain  and  his  officers  embraced  their  daimtless  friends 
with  great  feeling,  not  excepting  even  Joe,  who,  worthy 
feUow,  was  as  proud  and  happy  as  a  prince.  Every  one 
in  the  party  insisted  upon  having  a  final  shake  of  the 
doctor's  hand. 


OHEISTEOTNG   THE   BALLOON.  81 

At  nine  o'clock  the  three  travellers  got  into  their  car. 
The  doctor  lit  the  combustible  in  his  cylinder  and  turned 
the  flame  so  as  to  produce  a  rapid  heat,  and  the  balloon, 
which  had  rested  on  the  ground  in  perfect  equipoise,  began 
to  rise  in  a  few  minutes,  so  that  the  seamen  had  to  slacken 
the  ropes  they  held  it  by.  The  cai  then  rose  about  twenty 
feet  above  their  heads. 

"  My  friends  ! "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  standing  up  be- 
tween his  two  companions,  and  taking  off  his  hat,  "  let  us 
give  our  aerial  ship  a  name  that  will  bring  her  good  luck ! 
let  us  christen  her  Victoria  I " 

This  speech  was  answered  with  stentorian  cheers  of 
"  Huzza  for  the  Queen  !     Huzza  for  Old  England  1 " 

At  this  moment  the  ascensional  force  of  the  balloon 
increased  prodigiously,  and  Ferguson,  Kennedy,  and  Joe, 
waved  a  last  good-by  to  their  friends. 

"  Let  go  all !  "  shouted  the  doctor,  and  at  the  word  the 
Victoria  shot  rapidly  up  into  the  sky,  while  the  four  car- 
ronades  on  board  the  Resolute  thundered  forth  a  parting} 
utlute  in  her  honor. 


CHAPTER    TWELFTR 

CroBifaig  the  Strait.— The  Mrima.— Dick's  Remark  and  Joe'e  Proposition.—  A 
Recipe  for  Coffee-makixig.— The  Uzaramo.— The  Unforlnnate  Maizan.— 
Mount  DuthomL— The  Doctor's  Cards. — Night  under  a  NopaL 

The  air  was  pure,  the  wind  moderate,  and  the  balloon 
ascended  almost  perpendicularly  to  a  height  of  fifteen 
hundred  feet,  as  indicated  by  a  depression  of  two  inches 
in  the  barometric  column. 

At  this  height  a  more  decided  current  carried  the 
balloon  toward  the  southwest.  "What  a  magnificent  spec- 
tacle was  then  outspread  beneath  the  gaze  of  the  travellers  ! 
The  island  of  Zanzibar  could  be  seen  in  its  entire  extent, 
marked  out  by  its  deeper  color  upon  a  vast  planisphere ; 
the  fields  had  the  appearance  of  patterns  of  different  col- 
ors, and  thick  clumps  of  green  indicated  the  groves  and 
thickets. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  island  looked  no  larger  than 
insects.  The  huzzaing  and  shouting  were  little  by  little 
lost  in  the  distance,  and  only  the  discharge  of  the  ship's 
gims  could  be  heard  in  the  concavity  beneath  the  balloon, 
as  the  latter  sped  on  its  flight. 

"  IIow  fine  that  is ! "  said  Joe,  breaking  silence  for  the 
first  time. 

He  got  no  reply.  The  doctor  was  busy  observing  the 
variations  of  the  barometer  and  noting  down  the  details 
of  his  ascent. 

Kennedy  looked  on,  and  had  not  eyes  enough  to  take 
in  all  that  he  saw. 


THS   IBBEPSES8IBLE   jes.  83 

rhft  rays  of  the  sun  coming  to  the  aid  of  the  heating 
cylinder,  the  tension  of  the  gas  increased,  and  the  VtctOT^ 
attained  the  height  of  twenty-five  hundred  feet. 

The  Resolute  looked  like  a  mere  cockle-shell,  and  the 
African  coast  could  be  distinctly  seen  in  the  west  marked 
out  by  a  fringe  of  foam, 

"  Tou  don't  talk  ?  "  said  Joe,  again. 

"  TVe  are  looking  1 "  said  the  doctor,  directing  his  spy- 
glass toward  the  mainland. 

"  For  my  part,  I  must  talk  ! " 

"  As  much  as  you  please,  Joe ;  talk  as  much  as  you 
like!" 

And  Joe  went  on  alone  wnth  a  tremendous  volley  of 
exclamations.  The  "  ohs  ! "  and  the  "  ahs  ! "  exploded  one 
after  the  other,  incessantly,  from  his  lips. 

During  his  passage  over  the  sea  the  doctor  deemed  it 
best  to  keep  at  his  present  elevation.  He  could  thus 
reconnoitre  a  greater  stretch  of  the  coast.  The  thermom- 
eter and  the  barometer,  hanging  up  inside  of  the  half- 
opened  awning,  were  always  within  sight,  and  a  second 
barometer  suspended  outside  was  to  serve  during  the  night 
watches. 

At  the  end  of  about  two  hours  the  Yictoria^  driven 
along  at  a  speed  of  a  little  more  than  eight  miles,  very 
visibly  neared  the  coast  of  the  mainland.  The  doctor, 
thereupon,  determined  to  descend  a  little  nearer  to  the 
ground.  So  he  moderated  the  flame  of  his  cylinder,  and 
the  balloon,  in  a  few  moments,  had  descended  to  an  alti 
tude  only  three  hundred  feet  above  the  soil. 

It  was  then  found  to  be  passing  just  over  the  Mrima 
country,  the  name  of  this  part  of  the  eastern  coast  of 
Africa.  Dense  borders  of  mango-trees  protected  its  mar- 
gin, and  the  ebb-tide  disclosed  to  view  their  thick  roots, 
chafed  and  gnawed  by  the  teeth  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  The 
sands  which,  at  an  earlier  period,  formed  the  coast-line, 


84  FTVE  WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

rounded  away  along  the  distant  horizon,  and  Mount 
Nguru  1  eared  aloft  its  sharp  summit  in  the  northwest. 

The  Victoria  passed  near  to  a  village  which  the  doctor 
found  marked  upon  his  chart  as  Kaole.  Its  entire  popula- 
tion had  assembled  in  crowds,  and  were  yelling  with  anger 
and  fear,  at  the  same  time  vainly  directing  their  arrows 
against  this  monster  of  the  air  that  swept  along  so  majes- 
tically away  above  all  their  powerless  fury. 

The  wind  was  setting  to  the  southward,  but  the  doctor 
felt  no  concern  on  that  score,  since  it  enabled  him  the 
better  to  follow  the  route  traced  by  Captains  Burton  and 
Speke. 

Kennedy  had,  at  length,  become  as  talkative  as  Joe, 
and  the  two  kept  up  a  continual  interchange  of  admiring 
interjections  and  exclamations. 

"  Out  upon  stage-coaches  !  "  said  one. 

"  Steamers  indeed ! "  said  the  other. 

"  Railroads  !  eh  ?  rubbish ! "  put  in  Kennedy,  "  that 
you  travel  on,  without  seeing  the  country !  " 

"  Balloons  I  they're  the  sort  for  me !  "  Joe  would  add. 
"  Why,  you  don't  feel  yourself  going,  and  Nature  takes 
the  trouble  to  spread  herself  out  before  one's  eyes  !  '* 

"  What  a  splendid  sight !  What  a  spectacle !  What 
a  delight !  a  dream  in  a  hammock  !  " 

"  Suppose  we  take  our  breakfast  ?  "  was  Joe's  unpoeti- 
cal  change  of  tune,  at  last,  for  the  keen,  open  air  had 
mightily  sharpened  his  appetite. 

"  Good  idea,  my  boy  I " 

"  Oh  I  it  won't  take  us  long  to  do  the  cooking — biscuit 
and  potted  meat  ?  " 

"  And  as  much  coffee  as  you  like,"  said  the  doctor.  "  1 
give  you  leave  to  borrow  a  little  heat  from  my  cylinder. 
There's  enough  and  to  spare,  for  that  matter,  and  so  we 
Bhall  avoid  the  risk  of  a  conflagration." 

"That  wou  d  be  a  dreadful  misfortune  1 "  ejaculated 


THE  ITEST   BEEA.KFA8T.  85 

Kennedy.      "It's  the  same  as  a  powder-magazine  sns- 
pended  over  our  heads." 

"  Not  precisely,"  said  Ferguson,  "  but  still  if  the  gas 
were  to  take  fire  it  would  burn  up  gradually,  and  we 
should  settle  down  on  the  ground,  which  would  be  dis- 
agreeable ;  but  never  fear — our  balloon  is  hermetically 
sealed." 

"  Let  ufB  eat  a  bite,  then,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  put  in  Joe,  "  while  doing  the  same 
as  you,  I'm  going  to  get  you  up  a  cup  of  coffee  that  I 
think  you'll  have  something  to  say  about." 

"  The  fact  is,"  added  the  doctor,  "  that  Joe,  along  with 
a  thousand  other  virtues,  has  a  remarkable  talent  for  the 
preparation  of  that  delicious  beverage  :  he  compounds  it 
of  a  mixture  of  various  origin,  but  he  never  would  reveal 
to  me  the  ingredients." 

"  Well,  master,  since  we  are  so  far  above-ground,  I  can 
tell  you  the  secret.  It  is  just  to  mix  equal  quantities  of 
Mocha,  of  Bourbon  coffee,  and  of  Rio  Nunez." 

A  few  moments  later,  three  steaming  cups  of  coffee 
were  served,  and  topped  off  a  substantial  breakfast,  which 
was  additionally  seasoned  by  the  jokes  and  repartees  of 
the  guests.  Each  one  then  resumed  his  post  of  observa- 
tion. 

The  country  over  which  they  were  passing  was  re- 
markable for  its  fertility.  Nan-ow,  winding  paths  plvmged 
in  beneath  the  overarching  verdure.  They  swept  along 
above  cultivated  fields  of  tobacco,  maize,  and  barley,  a 
full  maturity,  and  here  and  there  immense  rice-fields 
full  of  straight  stalks  and  purple  blossoms.  They  could 
distinguish  sheep  and  goats  too,  confined  in  larg> 
cages,  set  up  on  piles  to  keep  them  out  of  reach  of  th* 
leopards'  fangs.  Luxuriant  v^egetation  spread  in  wild 
profuseness  over  this  prodigal  soiL 

Village  after  village  rang  witli  yells  of  terror  and 


86  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOOH. 

astonishraent  at  the  sight  of  the  Victoria,  and  Dr.  Fcrgu 
son  prudently  kept  her  above  the  reach  of  the  barbarian 
arrows.  The  savages  below,  thus  baffied,  ran  together 
from  their  huddle  of  huts  and  followed  the  travellers  with 
their  vain  imprecations  while  they  remained  in  sight. 

At  noon,  the  doctor,  upon  consulting  his  map,  calcu- 
lated that  they  were  passing  over  the  Uzaramo  *  country. 
The  soil  was  thickly  studded  -with  cocoa-nut,  papaw,  and 
cotton-wood  trees,  above  which  the  balloon  seemed  to  dis- 
port itself  like  a  bird.  Joe  found  this  splendid  vegetation 
a  matter  of  course,  seeing  that  they  were  in  Africa.  Ken- 
nedy descried  some  hares  and  quails  that  asked  nothing 
better  than  to  get  a  good  shot  from  his  fowling-piece,  but 
it  would  have  been  powder  wasted,  since  there  was  no 
time  to  pick  up  the  game. 

The  aeronauts  swept  on  with  the  speed  of  twelve  miles 
per  hour,  and  soon  were  passing  in  thirty-eight  degrees 
twenty  minutes  east  longitude,  over  the  village  of  Toimda. 

"  It  was  there,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  Burton  and 
Speke  were  seized  with  violent  fevers,  and  for  a  moment 
thought  their  expedition  ruined.  And  yet  they  were  only 
a  short  distance  from  the  coast,  but  fatigue  and  privation 
were  beginning  to  tell  upon  them  severely." 

In  fact,  there  is  a  perpetual  malaria  reigning  through- 
out the  country  in  question.  Even  the  doctor  could  hope 
to  escape  its  effects  only  by  rising  above  the  range  of  the 
miasma  that  exhales  from  this  damp  region  whence  the 
blazing  rays  of  the  sun  pump  up  its  poisonous  vapors. 
Once  in  a  while  they  could  descry  a  caravan  resting  in  a 
"  kraal,''^  awaiting  the  freshness  and  cool  of  the  evening  to 
resume  its  route.  These  kraals  are  wide  patches  of  cleared 
land,  sm-rounded  by  hedges  and  jungles,  where  traders 
take  shelter  against  not  only  the  wild  beasts,  but  also  the 

'  U  and  Ou  signif  j  country  m  ine  language  of  that  region. 


AVOIDING   THE   NATITES.  87 

robber  tribes  of  the  country.  They  could  see  the  natives 
running  and  scattering  in  all  directions  at  the  sight  of  the 
Victoria.  Kennedy  was  keen  to  get  a  closer  look  at  thenx, 
but  the  doctor  invariably  held  out  against  the  idea. 

"  The  chiefs  are  armed  with  muskets,"  he  said,  "  and 
our  balloon  would  be  too  conspicuous  a  mark  for  their 
bullets." 

"  Would  a  bullet-hole  bring  us  down  ?  "  ai?ked  Joe. 

"  Not  immediately ;  but  such  a  liole  would  soon  be- 
come a  large  torn  orifice  through  which  our  gas  would 
escape." 

"  Then,  let  us  keep  at  a  respectful  distance  from  yon 
miscreants.  Wliat  must  they  think  as  they  see  us  sailing 
in  the  air?    I'm  sure  they  must  feel  like  wors}ii])ping  us  !" 

"Let  them  worship  away,  then,"  replied  the  doctor, 
"but  at  a  distance.  There  is  no  harm  done  in  getting  as  far 
away  from  tliem  as  possible.  See  !  the  country  is  already 
changing  its  aspect :  the  villages  are  fewer  and  farther  be- 
tween ;  the  mango-trees  have  disajipeared,  for  their  growth 
ceases  at  this  latitude.  The  soil  is  becoming  hilly  and 
portends  mountains  not  far  off" 

"  Yes,"  said  Kennedy,  "  it  seems  to  me  that  I  can  see 
some  high  land  on  this  side." 

"  In  the  west — those  are  the  nearest  ranges  of  the 
Ourizara — Mount  Duthumi,  no  doubt,  behind  which  I  hope 
to  find  shelter  for  the  night.  I'll  stir  up  the  heat  in  the 
cylinder  a  little,  for  we  must  keep  at  an  elevation  of  five 
or  six  hundred  feet." 

"  That  was  a  grand  idea  of  yours,  sir,"  said  Joe.  "  It's 
mighty  easy  to  manage  it ;  you  turn  a  cock,  and  the  thing's 
done." 

"  Ah !  here  we  are  more  at  our  ease,"  said  the  sports- 
man, as  the  balloon  ascended;  "the  reflection  of  the  sun 
on  those  red  sands  was  getting  to  be  insupportable." 

"  What  splendid  trees  1 "  cried  Joe,     "  They're  quit« 


88  FIVE   WEEKS    IN   A   BALLOOB. 

natural,  but  they  are  very  fine  1  Why  a  dozen  of  them 
v\'ould  make  a  forest  1 " 

"  Those  are  baobabs,"  replied  Dr.  Ferguson.  "  See, 
there's  one  with  a  trunk  fully  one  hundred  feet  in  circum- 
ference. It  was,  perhaps,  at  the  foot  of  that  very  tree 
that  Maizan,  the  French  traveller,  expired  in  1845,  for  we 
are  over  the  village  of  Deje-la-Mhora,  to  which  he  pushed 
on  alone.  He  was  seized  by  the  chief  of  this  region,  fast- 
ened to  the  foot  of  a  baobab,  and  the  ferocious  black  then 
severed  all  his  joints  whUe  the  war-song  of  his  tribe  was 
chanted;  he  then  made  a  gash  in  the  prisoner's  neck, 
stopped  to  sharpen  his  knife,  and  faii'ly  tore  away  the  poor 
wretch's  head  before  it  had  been  cut  from  the  body.  The 
unfortunate  Frenchman  was  but  twenty-six  years  of  age." 

"  And  France  has  never  avenged  so  hideous  a  crime  ?  " 
said  Kennedy. 

"France  did  demand  satisfaction,  and  the  Said  of 
/Zanzibar  did  all  in  his  power  to  capture  the  murderer,  but 
in  vain." 

"  I  move  that  we  don't  stop  here  1 "  urged  Joe ;  "  let  us 
go  up,  master,  let  us  go  up  higher  by  all  means." 

"All  the  more  willingly,  Joe,  that  there  is  Mount 
Duthumi  right  ahead  of  us.  If  my  calculations  be  right 
we  shall  have  passed  it  before  seven  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing." 

"  Shall  we  not  travel  at  night  ?  "  asked  the  Scotchman. 

"  No,  as  little  as  possible.  With  care  and  vigilance 
vre  might  do  so  safely,  but  it  is  not  enough  to  sweep  across 
Africa.     We  want  to  see  it." 

"  Up  to  this  time  we  have  nothing  to  complain  of, 
master.  The  best  cultivated  and  most  fertile  country  in 
the  world  instead  of  a  desert !  Believe  the  geographers 
after  that ! " 

"  Let  us  wait,  Joe  1  we  shall  see  by-and-by." 

About  half-past  six  in  the  evening  the  Victoria  waa 


GBOSSmO   THE   MOUNTAIN.  89 

directly  opposite  Mount  Duthumi ;  in  order  to  pass,  it  had 
to  ascend  to  a  height  of  more  than  three  thousand  feet,  and 
to  accomplish  that  the  doctor  had  only  to  raise  the  tem- 
perature of  his  gas  eighteen  degrees.  It  might  have  been 
correctly  said  that  he  held  his  balloon  in  his  hand.  Ken- 
nedy had  only  to  indicate  to  him  the  obstacles  to  be  sur- 
mounted, and  the  Victoria  sped  through  the  air,  skimming 
the  summits  of  the  range. 

At  eight  o'clock  it  descended  the  farther  slope,  the  ac- 
clivity of  which  was  much  less  abrupt.  The  anchors  were 
thrown  out  from  the  car  and  one  of  them,  coming  ia  con- 
tact with  the  branches  of  an  enormous  nopal,  caught  on  it 
firmly.  Joe  at  once  let  himself  slide  down  the  rope  and 
secured  it.  The  silk  ladder  was  then  lowered  to  him 
and  he  remounted  to  the  car  with  agility.  The  bal- 
loon now  remained  perfectly  at  rest  sheltered  from  the 
eastern  winds. 

The  evening  meal  was  got  ready,  and  the  aeronauts, 
excited  by  their  day's  journey,  made  a  heavy  onslaught 
upon  the  provisions. 

"What  distance  have  we  traversed  to-day?"  asked 
Kennedy,  disposing  of  some  alarming  mouthfuls. 

The  doctor  took  his  bearings,  by  means  of  lunar  obser- 
vations, and  consulted  the  excellent  map  that  he  had  with 
him  for  his  guidance.  It  belonged  to  the  Atlas  of  "  Der 
Neuester  Endeckungen  in  Afrika  "  ("  The  Latest  Discov- 
eries in  Africa  "),  published  at  Gotha  by  his  learned  friend 
Dr.  Petermann,  and  by  that  savant  sent  to  him.  This 
Atlas  was  to  serve  the  doctor  on  his  whole  journey;  for  it 
contained  the  itinerary  of  Burton  and  Speke  to  the  great 
lakes ;  the  Soudan,  according  to  Dr.  Barth ;  the  Lower 
Senegal,  according  to  Guillaimie  Lejean;  and  the  Delta  of 
the  Niger,  by  Dr.  Blaikie. 

Ferguson  had  also  provided  himself  with  a  work  which 
combined  in  one  compilation  all  the  notions  already  ao- 


90  F17B  IV  BEES   m    A   BAIJ:.001«. 

quired  concerning  the  Nile.  It  was  entitled  "  The  Source« 
of  the  Nile ;  being  a  General  Survey  of  the  Basin  of  that 
River  and  of  its  Head-Stream,  with  the  History  of  the 
Nilotic  Discovery,  by  Charles  Bcke,  D.  D." 

He  also  had  the  excellent  charts  published  in  the 
"  Bulletins  of  the  Geographical  Society  of  London ; "  and 
not  a  single  point  of  the  countries  already  discovered 
couLl,  therefore,  escape  his  notice. 

Upon  tracing  on  his  maps,  he  found  that  his  latitu- 
dinal route  had  been  two  degrees,  or  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles,  to  the  westward. 

Kennedy  remarked  that  the  route  tended  toward  the 
south ;  but  this  direction  was  satisfactory  to  the  doctor, 
who  desired  to  reconnoitre  the  tracks  of  his  predecessors 
as  much  as  possible.  It  was  agreed  that  the  night  should 
be  divided  into  three  watches,  so  that  each  of  the  party 
should  take  his  turn  in  watching  over  the  safety  of  the 
rest.  The  doctor  took  the  watch  commencing  at  nine 
o'clock ;  Kennedy,  the  one  commencing  at  midnight ;  and 
Joe,  the  three  o'clock  morning  watch. 

So  Kennedy  and  Joe,  well  wrapped  m  their  blankets, 
stretched  themselves  at  full  length  under  the  avt^mg,  and 
elept  quietly ;  while  Dr.  Ferguson  kept  on  the  lookcic. 


CHAPTER   THIRTEENTH. 

CtoKi^e  of  Weather.— Kennedy  has  the  Fever.— The  Doctor's  Medicine.— Tmyel* 
on  Land.  —The  Basin  of  Imeng6. — Mount  Rubeho.— Six  Thousand  Feet  E» 
Tadon.— A  Halt  in  the  Daytime. 

The  night  was  calm.  However,  on  Saturday  morning, 
Kennedy,  as  he  awoke,  complained  of  lassitude  and  fever- 
ish chills.  The  weather  was  changing.  The  sky,  covered 
with  clouds,  seemed  to  be  laying  in  supplies  for  a  fi'esh 
dehige.  A  gloomy  region  is  that  Zvmgoraoro  country, 
where  it  rains  continually,  excepting,  perhaps,  for  a  couple 
of  weeks  in  the  month  of  January. 

A  violent  shower  was  not  long  in  drenching  our  trav- 
ellers. Below  them,  the  roads,  intersected  by  "  nullahs," 
a  sort  of  instantaneous  torrent,  were  soon  rendered  im- 
practicable, entangled  as  they  were,  besides,  with  thorny 
thickets  and  gigantic  Uianas,  or  creeping  vines.  Tlie 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  emanations,  which  Captain  Burton 
mentions,  could  be  distinctly  smelt. 

"  According  to  his  statement,  and  I  think  he's  right," 
said  the  doctor,  "  one  could  readily  believe  that  there  is 
a  corpse  hidden  behind  every  thicket." 

"An  ugly  country  this  1"  sighed  Joe;  "and  it  seems 
to  me  that  JSIr.  Kennedy  is  none  the  better  for  having 
passed  the  night  in  it." 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  have  quite  a  high  fever,"  said  the 
sportsman. 

"  There's  nothing  remarkable  about  that,  my  dear 
Dick,  for  we  are  in  one  of  the  most  unhealthy  regions  in 


92  FIVTC   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

Africa ;  but  we  shall  not  remain  here  long ;  so  let's  ht 
offi" 

Thanks  to  a  skilful  manoeuvre  achieved  by  Joe,  the 
anchor  was  disengaged,  and  Joe  reascended  to  the  car  by- 
means  of  the  ladder.  The  doctor  vigorously  dilated  the 
gas,  and  the  Victoria  resumed  her  flight,  driven  along  by 
a  spanking  breeze. 

Only  a  few  scattered  huts  could  be  seen  through  the 
pestilential  mists  ;  but  the  appearance  of  the  country  soon 
changed,  for  it  often  happens  in  Africa  that  some  of  the 
unhealthiest  districts  lie  close  beside  others  that  are  per- 
fectly salubrious. 

Kennedy  was  visibly  suflering,  and  the  fever  was  mas- 
tering his  vigorous  constitution. 

"  It  won't  do  to  fall  ill,  though,"  he  grumbled ;  and 
so  saying,  he  wrapped  himself  in  a  blanket,  and  lay  down 
under  the  awning. 

"A  little  patience,  Dick,  and  you'll  soon  get  ovei 
this,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Get  over  it !  Egad,  Samuel,  if  you've  any  drug  in 
your  travelling-chest  that  will  set  me  on  my  feet  again, 
bring  it  without  delay.  I'll  swallow  it  with  my  eyes 
shut  1 " 

"  Oh,  I  can  do  better  than  that,  friend  Dick ;  for  I  can 
give  you  a  febrifuge  that  won't  cost  any  thing." 

"  And  how  will  you  do  that  ?  " 

"Very  easily.  I  am  simply  going  to  take  you  up 
above  these  clouds  that  are  now  deluging  us,  and  remove 
you  from  this  pestilential  atmosphere.  I  ask  for  only  ten 
minutes,  in  order  to  dilate  the  hydrogen." 

The  ten  minutes  had  scarcely  elapsed  ere  the  travel- 
lers were  beyond  the  rainy  belt  of  country. 

"  Wait  a  little,  now,  Dick,  and  you'll  begin  to  feel  the 
effect  of  pure  air  and  sunshine." 

"  There's  a  cure  for  you  I "  said  Joe ;  "  why,  it's  won- 
derfull" 


KENNEDY   EE0OVEE8.  98 

^No,  it's  merely  natural," 

"  Oh  !  natiiral ;  yes,  no  doubt  of  that  1 " 

"  I  bring  Dick  into  good  air,  as  the  doctors  do,  every 
day,  in  Europe,  or,  as  I  would  send  a  patient  at  Martinique 
to  the  Pitons,  a  lofty  mountain  on  that  island,  to  get  clear 
of  the  yellow  fever." 

"  Ah !  by  Jove,  this  balloon  is  a  paradise  I "  exclaimed 
Kennedy,  feeling  much  better  already. 

"  It  leads  to  it,  anyhow  1 "  replied  Joe,  quite  gravely. 

It  was  a  cui'ious  spectacle — that  mass  of  clouds  piled 
up,  at  the  moment,  away  below  them !  The  vaporh  rolled 
over  each  other,  and  mingled  together  in  confused  masses 
of  superb  brilliance,  as  they  reflected  the  rays  of  the  sim. 
The  Victoria  had  attained  an  altitude  of  four  thousand 
feet,  and  the  thermometer  indicated  a  certain  diminution 
of  temperature.  The  land  below  could  no  longer  be  seen. 
Fifty  miles  away  to  the  westward.  Mount  Rubeho  raised 
its  sparkling  crest,  marking  the  limit  of  the  Ugogo  coun- 
try in  east  longitude  thirty-six  degrees  twenty  minutes. 
The  wind  was  blowing  at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour, 
but  the  aeronauts  felt  nothing  of  this  increased  speed. 
They  observed  no  jar,  and  had  scarcely  any  sense  of  mo- 
tion at  all. 

Three  hours  later,  the  doctor's  prediction  was  fully 
verified.  Kennedy  no  longer  felt  a  single  shiver  of  the 
fever,  but  partook  of  some  breakfast  with  an  excellent 
appetite. 

"  That  beats  sulphate  of  quinine  ! "  said  the  energetic 
Scot,  with  hearty  emphasis  and  much  satisfaction. 

"  Positively,"  said  Joe,  "  this  is  where  I'll  have  to  re- 
tire to  when  I  get  old ! " 

About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  atmosphere 
cleared  up,  the  clouds  parted,  and  the  country  beneath 
could  again  be  seen,  the  Victoria  meanwhile  rapidly  de- 
icending.     Dr.  Ferguson  was  in  search  of  a  current  that 


94  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BAIXOON. 

would  carrj  him  more  to  the  northeast,  and  he  found  it 
about  six  hundred  feet  from  the  ground.  The  country 
was  becoming  more  broken,  and  even  mountainous.  The 
Zungomoro  district  was  fading  out  of  sight  in  the  east 
with  the  last  cocoa-nut-trees  of  that  latitude. 

Ere  long,  the  crests  of  a  mountain-range  assumed  a  more 
decided  prominence.  A  few  peaks  rose  here  and  there, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the 
pointed  cones  that  seemed  to  spring  up  every  moment. 

"  We're  right  among  the  breakers ! "  said  Kennedy. 

"  Keep  cool,  Dick.  We  shan't  touch  them,"  was  the 
doctor's  quiet  answer. 

"  It's  a  jolly  way  to  travel,  anyhow  I "  said  Joe,  with 
his  usual  flow  of  spirits. 

In  fact,  the  doctor  managed  his  balloon  with  wondrous 
dexterity. 

"  Now,  if  we  had  been  compelled  to  go  afoot  over  that 
drenched  soil,"  said  he,  "  we  should  still  be  dragging  along 
in  a  pestilential  mire.  Since  our  departure  from  Zanzibar, 
half  our  beasts  of  burden  would  have  died  with  fatigue. 
We  sliould  be  looking  like  ghosts  ourselves,  and  despair 
would  be  seizing  on  our  hearts.  We  should  be  in  contin- 
ual squabbles  with  our  guides  and  porters,  and  completely 
exposed  to  their  unbridled  brutality.  During  the  day- 
time, a  damp,  penetrating,  unendurable  humidity!  Al 
night,  a  cold  frequently  intolerable,  and  the  stings  of  a 
kind  of  fly  whose  bite  pierces  the  thickest  cloth,  and  drives 
the  victim  crazy !  All  this,  too,  without  saying  any  thing 
about  wild  beasts  and  ferocious  native  tribes ! " 

*'  I  move  that  we  don't  try  it  1 "  said  Joe,  in  his  droll 
way. 

"  I  exaggerate  nothing,"  continued  Ferguson,  "  for, 
upon  reading  tlie  narratives  of  such  travellers  as  have  had 
the  hardihood  to  venture  into  these  regions,  your  eyes 
would  fill  with  tears." 


APPKOACHnra  exjbeho.  05 

About  eleven  o'clock  they  were  passing  over  the  basin 
of  Imeng^,  and  the  tribes  scattered  over  the  adjacent  hills 
were  impotently  menacing  the  Yictoria  with  their  weap- 
ons. Finally,  she  sped  along  as  far  as  the  last  undulations 
of  the  country  which  precede  Rubeho.  These  fonn  the 
last  and  loftiest  chain  of  the  mountains  of  Usagara. 

The  aeronauts  took  careful  and  complete  note  of  the 
orographic  conformation  of  the  country.  The  three  rami- 
fications mentioned,  of  which  the  Duthumi  forms  the  first 
link,  are  separated  by  immense  longitudinal  plains.  These 
elevated  summits  consist  of  roimded  cones,  between  which 
the  soil  is  bestrewn  with  erratic  blocks  of  stone  and  grav- 
elly bowlders.  The  most  abrupt  declivity  of  these  moun- 
tains confronts  the  Zanzibar  coast,  but  the  western  slopes 
are  merely  inclined  planes.  The  depressions  in  the  soil 
are  covered  with  a  black,  rich  loam,  on  which  there  is  a 
vigorous  vegetation.  Various  water-courses  filter  through, 
toward  the  east,  and  work  their  way  onward  to  flow  into 
the  Kingani,  in  the  midst  of  gigantic  clumps  of  sycamore, 
tamarind,  calabash,  and  palmyra  trees. 

"  Attention ! "  said  Dr.  Ferguson.  "  We  are  approach- 
mg  Rubeho,  the  name  of  which  signifies,  in  the  language 
of  the  country,  the  '  Passage  of  the  Winds,'  and  we  would 
do  well  to  double  its  jagged  pinnacles  at  a  certain  height. 
If  my  chart  be  exact,  we  are  going  to  ascend  to  an  eleva- 
tion of  five  thousand  feet." 

"  Shall  we  often  have  occasion  to  reach  those  far  upper 
belts  of  the  atmosphere  ?  " 

"  Very  seldom :  the  height  of  the  African  moimtains 
appears  to  be  quite  moderate  compared  with  that  of  the 
European  and  Asiatic  ranges ;  but,  in  any  case,  our  good 
Victoria  will  find  no  difiiculty  in  passing  over  them." 

In  a  very  little  while,  the  gas  expanded  under  the 
action  of  the  heat,  and  the  balloon  took  a  very  decided 
ascensional  movement.    Besides,  the  dilation  of  the  hydro- 
6 


96  FTTE  WEEKS    tN   A  BALLOON. 

gen  involved  no  danger,  and  only  tliree-fourtlis  of  the 
vast  capacity  of  tlie  balloon  was  filled  when  the  barom- 
eter, by  a  depression  of  eight  inches,  announced  an  eleva- 
tion of  six  thousand  feet. 

"  Shall  we  go  this  high  very  long  ?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  The  atmosphere  of  the  earth  has  a  height  of  six  thou- 
sand fathoms,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  and,  with  a  very  large 
balloon,  one  might  go  far.  That  is  what  Messrs.  Brioschi 
and  Gay-Lussac  did ;  but  then  the  blood  burst  from  theii 
mouths  and  ears.  Respirable  air  was  wanting.  Some 
years  ago,  two  fearless  Frenchmen,  Messrs.  Barral  and 
Bixio,  also  ventured  into  the  very  lofty  regions ;  but  theii 
balloon  burst — " 

"  And  they  fell  ?  "  asked  Kennedy,  abruptly. 

"Certainly  they  did;  but  as  learned  men  should  al- 
ways fall — namely,  without  hurting  themselves." 

"  "Well,  gentlemen,"  said  Joe,  "  you  may  try  their  fall 
over  again,  if  you  like ;  but,  as  for  me,  who  am  but  a  dolt, 
I  prefer  keeping  at  the  medium  height — ^neither  too  far 
vp,  nor  too  low  down.  It  won't  do  to  be  too  ambi 
tious." 

At  the  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  the  density  of  the 
atmosphere  has  already  greatly  diminished ;  sound  is  con 
veyed  with  difficulty,  and  the  voice  is  not  so  easily  heard 
The  view  of  objects  becomes  confused ;  the  gaze  no  longei 
takes  in  any  but  large,  quite  ill-distinguishable  masses ; 
men  and  animals  on  the  surface  become  absolutely  invis- 
ible ;  the  roads  and  rivers  get  to  look  like  threads,  and 
the  lakes  dwindle  to  ponds. 

The  doctor  and  his  friends  felt  themselves  in  a  very 
anomalous  condition ;  an  atmospheric  current  of  extreme 
velocity  was  bearing  them  away  beyond  arid  mountains 
upon  whose  summits  vast  fields  of  snow  surprised  the 
gaze;  while  their  convulsed  appearance  told  of  Titauio 
travail  in  the  earliest  epoch  of  the  world's  existence. 


THEY   -LAITD.  97 

The  sun  shone  at  the  zenith,  and  his  rays  fell  perpen- 
dicularly upon  those  lonely  summits.  The  doctor  took 
an  accurate  design  of  these  mountains,  which  form  four 
distinct  ridges  almost  in  a  straight  line,  the  northernmost 
being  the  longest. 

The  Victoria  soon  descended  the  slope  opposite  to  the 
Rubeho,  skirting  an  acclivity  covered  with  woods,  and 
dotted  with  trees  of  very  deep-green  foliage.  Then  came 
crests  and  ravines,  in  a  sort  of  desert  which  preceded  the 
Ugogo  country ;  and  lower  down  were  yellow  plains, 
parched  and  fissured  by  the  intense  heat,  and,  here  and 
there,  bestrewn  with  saline  plants  and  brambly  thick- 
ets. 

Some  underbrush,  which,  farther  on,  became  forests, 
embellished  the  horizon.  The  doctor  went  nearer  to  the 
ground ;  the  anchors  were  thrown  out,  and  one  of  them 
soon  caught  in  the  boughs  of  a  huge  sycamore. 

Joe,  slipping  nimbly  down  the  tree,  carefully  attached 
the  anchor,  and  the  doctor  left  his  cylinder  at  work  to  a 
certain  degree  in  order  to  retain  sufficient  ascensional 
force  in  the  balloon  to  keep  it  in  the  air.  Meanwhile  the 
wind  had  suddenly  died  away. 

"  Now,"  said  Ferguson,  "  take  two  guns,  friend  Dick — 
one  for  yourself  and  one  for  Joe — and  both  of  you  try  to 
bring  back  some  nice  cuts  of  antelope-meat ;  they  will 
make  us  a  good  dinner." 

"  Off  to  the  hunt  1 "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  joyously. 

He  climbed  briskly  out  of  the  car  and  descended.  Joe 
had  swung  himself  down  from  branch  to  branch,  and  was 
waiting  for  him  below,  stretching  his  limbs  in  the  mean 
time. 

"  Don't  fly  away  without  ns,  doctor  I  "  shouted 
Joe. 

"Never  fear,  my  boyl — I  am  securely  lashed.  FIJ 
spend  the  tune  getting  my  notes  into  shape.    A  good  hunt 


98  FIVE   WEEKS    m    A   BAILOON. 

to  you  1  but  be  careful.  Besides,  from  my  post  here,  1 
can  observe  the  face  of  tlie  country,  and,  at  the  least  sus- 
picious thing  I  notice,  I'll  fire  a  signal-shot,  and  with  that 
you  must  rally  home." 

"  Agreed  1 "  said  Kennedy ;  and  off  they  went 


CHAPTER  FOURTEENTH. 

Tie  Forest  of  Qum-TreeB.— The  Blue  Antelope.— The  Rallylng-Slgnal.— An  Dd- 
expected  Attack.— The  Kanyeme.— A  Night  In  the  Open  Air.— The  Mabon- 
gnru.— Jihoue-la-Mkoa. — A  Supply  of  Water. — ^Arrival  at  Kazeh. 

The  coimtry,  dry  and  parched  as  it  was,  consisting  of 
a  clayey  soil  that  cracked  open  with  the  heat,  seemed, 
indeed,  a  desert:  here  and  there  were  a  few  traces  of 
caravans ;  the  bones  of  men  and  animals,  that  had  been 
half-gnawed  away,  mouldei'ing  together  in  the  same  dust. 

After  half  an  hour's  walking,  Dick  and  Joe  plunged 
into  a  forest  of  gum-trees,  their  eyes  alert  on  all  sides, 
and  their  fingers  on  the  trigger.  There  was  ^o  foresee- 
ing what  they  might  encounter.  "Without  being  a  rifle- 
man, Joe  could  handle  fire-arms  with  no  trifling  dexterity. 

"  A  walk  does  one  good,  Mr.  Kennedy,  but  this  isn't 
the  easiest  ground  in  the  world,"  he  said,  kicking  aside 
some  fragments  of  quartz  with  which  the  soil  was  bf*- 
strewn. 

Kennedy  motioned  to  his  companion  to  be  silent  and 
to  halt.  The  present  case  compelled  them  to  dispense 
with  hunting-dogs,  and,  no  matter  what  Joe's  agility  might 
be,  he  could  not  be  expected  to  have  the  scent  of  a  setter 
or  a  greyhound. 

A  herd  of  a  dozen  antelopes  were  quenching  their 
thirst  in  the  bed  of  a  torrent  where  some  pools  of  water 
had  lodged.  The  graceful  creatures,  snufling  danger  in 
the  breeze,  seemed  to  be  disturbed  and  uneasy.  Theii 
beautiful  heads  could  be   seen  between   every  draught, 

!• 


100  .      PIVB   WEEKS   m   A   BJLLLOOW. 

raised  in  the  air  witli  quick  and  sudden  motion  as  they 
sniffed  the  wind  in  the  du'ection  of  our  two  hunters,  with 
their  flexible  nostrils. 

Kennedy  stole  around  behind  some  clumps  of  shrub- 
bery, while  Joe  remained  motionless  where  he  was.  The 
former,  at  length,  got  within  gunshot  and  fired. 

The  herd  disappeared  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye ;  one 
male  antelope  only,  that  was  hit  just  behind  the  shoulder- 
joint,  fell  headlong  to  the  ground,  and  Kennedy  leaped 
toward  his  booty. 

It  was  a  blamcbolc,  a  superb  animal  of  a  pale-bluish 
color  shading  upon  the  gray,  but  with  the  belly  and  the 
inside  of  the  legs  as  white  as  the  driven  snow. 

"  A  splendid  shot  !  "  exclaimed  the  hunter.  "  It's  a 
very  rare  species  of  the  antelope,  and  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
prepare  his  skin  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  it." 

"  Indeed  1 "  said  Joe,  "  do  you  think  of  doing  that,  l^Ir. 
Kennedy?" 

"  Why,  certainly  I  do  1  Just  see  what  a  fine  hide  it 
is!" 

"  But  Dr.  Ferguson  wiU  never  allow  us  to  take  such  an 
extra  weight ! " 

"  You're  right,  Joe.  Still  it  is  a  pity  to  have  to  leave 
Buch  a  noble  animal." 

"  The  whole  of  it  ?  Oh,  we  won't  do  that,  sir ;  we'll 
take  all  the  good  eatable  parts  of  it,  and,  if  you'll  let  me, 
I'll  cut  him  up  just  as  well  as  the  chairman  of  the  honor- 
able corporation  of  butchers  of  the  city  of  London  could 
do." 

"  As  you  please,  my  boy  I  But  you  know  that  in  my 
hunter's  way  I  can  just  as  easily  skin  and  cut  up  a  piece 
of  game  as  kill  it." 

"  I'm  sure  of  that,  Mr.  Kennedy.  Well,  then,  you  can 
build  a  fireplace  with  a  few  stones ;  there's  plenty  of  dry 
dead-wood,  and  I  can  make  the  hot  coals  tell  in  a  few 
minutes." 


THE  SIGNAL.  101 

"  Oil  1  that  wdn't  take  long,"  said  Kennedy,  going  to 
work  on  the  fireplace,  where  he  had  a  brisk  flame  crackling 
and  sparkling  in  a  minute  or  two. 

Joe  had  cut  some  of  the  nicest  steaks  and  the  best 
parts  of  the  tenderloin  from  the  carcass  of  the  antelope, 
and  these  were  quickly  transformed  to  the  most  savory  oi 
broils. 

"  There,  those  will  tickle  the  doctor  1 "  said  Kennedy. 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  was  thinking  about  ?  "  said  Joe. 

"  Why,  about  the  steaks  you're  broiling,  to  be  sure  !  " 
replied  Dick. 

"  Not  the  least  in  the  world.  I  was  thinking  what  a 
figure  we'd  cut  if  we  couldn't  find  the  balloon  again." 

"  By  George,  what  an  idea  !  Why,  do  you  tbmk  the 
doctor  would  desert  us  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  suppose  his  anchor  were  to  slip  ! " 

"  Impossible !  and,  besides,  the  doctor  would  find  no 
difficulty  in  coming  down  again  with  his  balloon ;  he  han- 
dles it  at  his  ease." 

"  But  suppose  the  wind  were  to  sweep  it  off,  so  that  he 
couldn't  come  back  toward  us  ?  " 

"  Come,  come,  Joe !  a  truce  to  your  suppositions ; 
they're  any  thing  but  pleasant." 

"  Ah !  sir,  every  thing  that  happens  in  this  world  is 
natural,  of  course ;  but,  then,  any  thing  may  happen,  and 
w  ought  to  look  out  beforehand." 

At  this  moment  the  report  of  a  gun  rang  out  upon  the 
»»■ 

"  What's  that  ?  "  exclaimed  Joe. 

"  It's  my  rifle,  I  know  the  riirg  of  her ! "  said  Kennedy. 

«  A  signal  I " 

"  Yes  ;  danger  for  is ! " 

"  For  him,  too,  perhaps." 

"Let's  be  off  I" 

And  the  hunters,  having  gathered  up  the  product  oi 


102  rrvB  weeks  in  a  balloon. 

their  expedition,  rapidly  made  their  way  back  along  the 
path  that  they  had  marked  by  breaking  boughs  and  bushes 
when  they  came.  The  density  of  the  underbrush  pre- 
vented their  seeing  the  balloon,  although  they  could  not 
be  far  from  it. 

A  second  shot  was  heard. 

"  We  must  hurry  I "  said  Joe. 

"  There  1  a  third  report ! " 

"  Why,  it  sounds  to  me  as  if  he  was  defending  himself 
against  something." 

"  Let  us  make  haste  1 " 

They  now  began  to  run  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 
When  they  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  forest,  they,  at 
first  glance,  saw  the  balloon  in  its  place  and  the  doctor  in 
the  car. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  shouted  Kennedy. 

"  Good  God  ! "  suddenly  exclaimed  Joe. 

"  What  do  you  see  ?  " 

"  Down  there  !  look  1  a  crowd  of  blacks  surrounding 
the  balloon  1 " 

And,  in  fact,  there,  two  miles  from  where  they  were, 
they  saw  some  thirty  wild  natives  close  together,  yelling, 
gesticulating,  and  cutting  all  kinds  of  antics  at  the  foot  of 
the  sycamore.  Some,  climbing  into  the  tree  itself,  were 
making  their  way  to  the  topmost  branches.  The  danger 
seemed  pressing. 

"  My  master  is  lost ! "  cried  Joe. 

"  Come !  a  little  more  coolness,  Joe,  and  let  us  see  how 
we  stand.  We  hold  the  lives  of  four  of  those  villains  in 
our  hands.     Forward,  then  ! " 

They  had  made  a  mile  with  headlong  speed,  when 
another  report  was  heard  from  the  car.  The  shot  had, 
evidently,  told  upon  a  huge  black  demon,  who  had  been 
hoisting  himself  up  by  the  anchor-rope.  A  lifeless  body 
fell  from  bough  to  bough,  and  hung  about  twenty  feet 


THI  DOCTOE  ATTACKED  BY  APE8.        103 

from  the  ground,  its  arms  and  legs  swaying  to  and  fro  in 
the  air. 

"  Ha  1 "  said  Joe,  halting,  "  what  does  that  fellow  hold 
by?" 

"  No  matter  what  I "  said  Kennedy ;  "  let  us  run  I  let 
us  run !" 

"  All  1  Mr.  Kennedy,"  said  Joe,  again,  in  a  roar  of 
laughter,  "  by  his  tail  1  by  his  tail  1  it's  an  ape  I  They're 
all  apes  1 " 

"  Well,  they're  worse  than  men ! "  said  Kennedy,  as  he 
dashed  into  the  midst  of  the  howling  crowd. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  troop  of  very  formidable  baboons  of 
the  dog-faced  species.  These  creatures  are  brutal,  fero- 
cious, and  horrible  to  look  upon,  with  their  dog-like  muz- 
zles and  savage  expression.  However,  a  few  shots  scat- 
tered them,  and  the  chattering  horde  scampered  oS^ 
leaving  several  of  their  number  on  the  ground. 

In  a  moment  Kennedy  was  on  the  ladder,  and  Joe, 
clambering  up  the  branches,  detached  the  anchor;  the  car 
then  dipped  to  where  he  was,  and  he  got  into  it  without 
difficulty.  A  few  minutes  later,  the  Victoria  slowly 
ascended  and  soared  away  to  the  eastward,  wafted  by  a 
moderate  wind. 

"  That  was  an  attack  for  you  I "  said  Joe. 

"  We  thought  you  were  surrounded  by  natives." 
.  "Well,  fortunately,  they  were  only  apes,"  said  the 
doctor. 

"  At  a  distance  there's  no  great  difference,"  remarked 
Kennedy. 

"  Nor  close  at  hand,  either, "  added  Joe. 

"Well,  however  that  may  be,"  resumed  Ferguson, 
"this  attack  of  apes  might  have  had  the  most  serious  :on 
sequences.  Had  the  anchor  yielded  to  their  repeated 
efforts,  who  knows  whither  the  wind  would  have  carried 
me?" 


104  mrE  WEEKS  m  a  balloon. 

"  What  did  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Kennedy?" 

"  You  were  right,  Joe ;  but,  even  right  as  you  may 
nave  been,  you  were,  at  that  moment,  preparing  some 
antelope-steaks,  the  very  sight  of  which  gave  me  a  mon- 
strous appetite." 

"  I  believe  you  I "  said  the  doctor ;  "  the  flesh  of  tl\e 
antelope  is  exquisite." 

"  You  may  judge  of  that  yourself,  now,  sir,  for  supper's 
ready." 

"  Upon  my  word  as  a  sportsman,  those  venison-steaks 
have  a  gamy  flavor  that's  not  to  be  sneozed  at,  I  tell  you," 

"  Good  ! "  said  Joe,  with  his  mouth  full,  "  I  could  live 
on  antelope  all  the  days  of  my  life ;  and  all  the  better  with 
a  glass  of  grog  to  wash  it  down," 

So  saying,  the  good  fellow  went  to  work  to  prepare  a 
jorum  of  that  fragrant  beverage,  and  all  hands  tasted  it 
with  satisfaction, 

"  Every  thing  has  gone  well  thus  far,"  said  he. 

"  Very  well  indeed ! "  assented  Kennedy. 

"  Come,  now,  Mr.  Kennedy,  are  you  sorry  that  you 
came  with  us?" 

"  I'd  like  to  see  anybody  prevent  my  coming ! " 

It  was  now  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  Victo- 
ria had  struck  a  more  rapid  current.  The  face  of  the 
country  was  gradually  rising,  and,  ere  long,  the  barometer 
indicated  a  height  of  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  The  doctor  was,  therefore,  obliged  to  keep 
his  balloon  up  by  a  quite  considerable  dilation  of  gas,  and 
I  he  cylinder  was  hard  at  work  all  the  time. 

Toward  seven  o'clock,  the  balloon  was  sailing  over  the 
basin  of  Kanyeme.  The  doctor  immediately  recognized 
that  immense  clearing,  ten  miles  in  extent,  with  its  vil- 
lages buried  in  the  midst  of  baobab  and  calabash  trees, 
ft  is  the  residence  of  one  of  the  sultans  of  the  Ugogo  cotm- 
•ry,  where  civilizati  )n  is,  perhaf)s,  thu  least  backward. 


FIEST   NIGHT  TS   THE   BALLOON.  105 

The  natives  there  are  less  addicted  to  selling  members  of 
their  owtj  families,  but  still,  men  and  animals  all  live  to- 
gether in  round  huts,  without  frames,  tliat  look  like  hay- 
stacks. 

Beyond  Kanyeme  the  soil  becomes  arid  and  stony,  but 
in  an  hour's  journey,  in  a  fertile  dip  of  the  soil,  vegetation 
had  resumed  all  its  vigor  at  some  distance  from  Mdaburu. 
The  wind  fell  with  the  close  of  the  day,  and  the  atmos- 
phere seemed  to  sleep.  The  doctor  vainly  sought  for  a 
current  of  air  at  different  heights,  and,  at  last,  seeing  this 
calm  of  all  nature,  he  resolved  to  pass  the  night  afloat,  and, 
for  greater  safety,  rose  to  the  height  of  one  thousand  feet, 
where  the  balloon  remained  motionless.  The  night  was 
magnificent,  the  heavens  glittering  with  stars,  and  pro- 
foundly silent  in  the  upper  air. 

Dick  and  Joe  stretched  themselves  on  their  peaceful 
couch,  and  were  soon  sound  asleep,  the  doctjor  keeping  the 
first  watch.  At  twelve  o'clock  the  latter  was  relieved  by 
Kennedy. 

"Should  the  slightest  accident  happen,  waken  me,' 
said  Ferguson,  "  and,  above  all  things,  don't  lose  sight  of 
the  barometer.     To  us  it  is  the  compass !  " 

The  night  was  cold.  There  were  twenty-seven  degrees 
of  difference  between  its  temperature  and  that  of  the  day- 
time. With  nightfall  had  begun  the  nocturnal  concert 
of  animals  driven  from  their  hiding-places  by  hunger  and 
thirst.  The  frogs  struck  in  their  guttural  soprano,  re- 
doubled by  the  yelping  of  the  jackals,  while  the  imposing 
bass  of  the  African  lion  sustained  the  accords  of  this  living 
orchestra. 

Upon  resuming  his  post,  in  the  morning,  the  doctor 
consulted  his  compass,  and  found  that  the  wind  had 
changed  during  the  night.  The  balloon  had  been  bearing 
•bou'  thirty  milo3  to  the  northwest  during  the  last  two 
hours.     It  was  then  passing   over   Mabung'iru,  a  stony 


106  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BJLLLOON. 

country,  strewn  with  blocks  of  syenite  of  a  fine  polish,  and 
knobbed  with  huge  bowlders  and  angular  ridges  of  rock ; 
conic  masses,  like  the  rocks  of  Karnak,  studded  the  soil 
like  so  many  Druidic  dolmens  ;  the  bones  of  buffaloes  and 
elephants  whitened  it  here  and  there ;  but  few  trees  could 
be  seen,  excepting  in  the  east,  where  there  were  dense 
woods,  among  which  a  few  villages  lay  half  concealed. 

Toward  seven  o'clock  they  saw  a  huge  round  rock 
nearly  two  miles  in  extent,  like  an  immense  tortoise. 

*'  "We  are  o*n  the  right  track,"  said  Dr,  Ferguson. 
**  There's  Jihoue-la-lMkoa,  where  we  must  halt  for  a  few 
minutes.  I  am  going  to  renew  the  supply  of  water  neces- 
sary for  my  cylinder,  and  so  let  us  try  to  anchor  some- 
where." 

"  There  are  very  few  trees,"  replied  the  hunter. 

"Never  mind,  let  us  try.  Joe,  throw  out  the  an- 
-shors  ! " 

The  balloon,  gradually  losing  its  ascensional  force, 
approached  the  ground ;  the  anchors  ran  along  until,  at 
last,  one  of  them  caught  in  the  fissure  of  a  rock,  and  the 
balloon  remained  motionless. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  doctor  could  entirely 
extinguish  his  cylinder,  during  these  halts.  The  equilib- 
rium of  the  balloon  had  been  calculated  at  the  level  of 
the  sea ;  and,  as  the  country  was  continually  ascending, 
and  had  reached  an  elevation  of  from  six  to  seven  hundred 
feet,  the  balloon  would  have  had  a  tendency  to  go  lower 
than  the  surface  of  the  soil  itself.  It  was,  therefore,  neces- 
sary to  sustain  it  by  a  certain  dilation  of  the  gas.  But, 
in  case  the  doctor,  in  the  absence  of  all  wind,  had  let  the 
car  rest  upon  the  ground,  the  balloon,  thus  relieved  of  a 
considerable  weight,  would  have  kept  up  of  itself,  without 
the  aid  of  the  cylinder. 

The  maps  indicated  extensive  ponds  on  the  western 
slope  of   the  Jihoue-la-Mkoa.     Joe  went  thither  alone 


A   FKE8H   STOCK   OF   WATKK   T.AfTV  IN.  107 

with  a  cask  that  would  hold  about  ten  gallons.  He  found 
the  place  pointed  out  to  him,  without  difficulty,  near  to  a 
deserted  village ;  got  his  stock  of  water,  and  returned  in 
less  than  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  He  had  seen  nothing 
particular  excepting  some  immense  elephant-pits.  In  fact, 
he  came  very  near  falling  into  one  of  them,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  lay  a  balf-eaten  carcass. 

He  brought  back  with  him  a  sort  of  clover  which  the 
apes  eat  with  avidity.  The  doctor  recognized  the  fruit 
of  the  "  mbenbu  "-tree  wjiich  grows  in  profusion,  on  the 
western  part  of  Jihoue-la-Mkoa.  Ferguson  waited  for 
Joe  with  a  certain  feeling  of  impatience,  for  even  a  short 
halt  in  this  inhospitable  region  always  inspires  a  degree 
of  fear. 

The  water  was  got  aboard  without  trouble,  as  the  car 
was  nearly  resting  on  the  ground.  Joe  then  foimd  it  easy 
to  loosen  the  anchor  and  leaped  lightly  to  his  place  beside 
the  doctor.  The  latter  then  replenished  the  flame  in  the 
cylinder,  and  the  balloon  majestically  soared  into  the  air. 

It  was  then  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Kazeh,  an 
important  establishment  in  the  interior  of  Africa,  where, 
thanks  to  a  south-southeasterly  current,  the  travellers 
might  hope  to  arrive  on  that  same  day.  They -were  mov- 
ing at  the  rate  of  fourteen  miles  per  hour,  and  the  guid- 
ance of  the  balloon  was  becoming  difficult,  as  they  dared 
not  rise  very  high  without  extreme  dilation  of  the  gas,  the 
country  itself  being  at  an  average  height  of  three  thou- 
sand feet.  Hence,  the  doctor  preferred  not  to  force  the 
dilation,  and  so  adroitly  followed  the  sinuosities  of  a 
pretty  sharply-inclined  plane,  and  swept  very  close  to  the 
villages  of  Thembo  and  Tura-Wels.  The  latter  forms 
part  of  the  Unyamwezy,  a  magnificent  country,  where  the 
trees  attain  enormous  dimensions ;  among  them  the  cac- 
tuB,  which  grows  to  gigantic  size. 

About  two  o'clock,  in  magnificent  weather,  hut  under  a 


108  FIVE    WEEKS    TN    A    BALLOON. 

fiery  sun  that  devoured  the  least  breath  of  air,  the  ballooti 
was  floating  over  the  town  of  Kazeh,  situated  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  coast. 

"  We  left  Zanzibar  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning," 
said  the  doctor,  consulting  his  notes,  "  and,  after  two 
days'  passage,  we  have,  including  our  deviations,  trav- 
elled nearly  five  hundred  geographical  miles.  Cs^'Atiins 
Burton  and  Speke  took  four  months  and  a  half  to  T^aki 
the  same  distance  I " 


CHAPTER  FIFTEENTH. 

l«i€h,— The  Noisy  Market-place. — Tbe  Appearance  of  the  Balloon.— The  Waa- 
gaga.— The  Sons  of  the  Moon.— The  Doctor's  Walk.— The  Population  of  the 
Place.— The  Royal  Temb6.— The  Sultan's  Wives.— A  Royal  Drunken-Bout— 
Joe  an  Object  of  Worship.- How  they  Dance  In  the  Moon. — A  Reaction-— 
Two  Moons  In  one  Sky. — The  Instability  of  Divine  IIonorB. 

Kazeh,  an  important  point  in  Central  Africa,  is  not  a 
city ;  in  truth,  there  are  no  cities  in  the  interior.  Kazeh 
ifl  but  a  collection  of  six  extensive  excavations.  There 
are  enclosed  a  few  houses  and  slave-huts,  with  little  court- 
yards and  small  gardens,  carefully  cultivated  with  onions, 
potatoes,  cucumbers,  pumpkins,  and  mushrooms,  of  perfect 
flavor,  growing  most  luxuriantly. 

The  Unyamwezy  is  the  country  of  the  Moon — above 
all  the  rest,  the  fertile  and  magnificent  garden-spot  of 
Africa.  In  its  centre  is  the  district  of  Unyanembe — a 
delicious  region,  where  some  families  of  Omani,  who  are 
of  very  pure  Arabic  origin,  live  in  luxurious  idleness. 

They  have,  for  a  long  period,  held  the  commerce  he- 
tween  the  interior  of  Africa  and  Arabia:  they  trade  in 
gums,  ivory,  fine  muslin,  and  slaves.  Their  caravans 
traverse  these  equatorial  regions  on  all  sides;  and  they 
even  make  their  way  to  the  coast  in  search  of  those  arti- 
cles of  luxury  and  enjoyment  which  the  wealthy  mer- 
chants covet ;  while  the  latter,  surrounded  by  their  wives 
and  their  attendants,  lead  in  this  charming  country  the 
least  disturbed  and  most  horizontal  of  lives  —  always 
stretched  at  full  length,  laughing,  smoking,  or  sleeping. 


110  FIVE   WEEKS    TN    A   BALLOOIT. 

Around  these  excavations  are  numerous  native  dweu 
ings;  wide,  open  spaces  for  the  markets;  fields  of  caii- 
nabis  and  datura;  superb  trees  and  depths  of  freshest 
shade — such  is  Kazeh  ! 

There,  too,  is  lield  the  general  rendezvous  of  the  cara- 
vans— those  of  the  south,  ^ath  their  slaves  and  their 
freightage  of  ivory ;  and  those  of  the  west,  which  export 
cotton,  glassware,  and  trinkets,  to  the  tribes  of  the  great 
lakes. 

So  in  the  market-place  there  reigns  perpetual  excite- 
ment, a  nameless  hubbub,  made  up  of  the  cries  of  mixed- 
breed  porters  and  carriers,  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the 
twanging  of  horns,  the  neighing  of  mules,  the  braying  of 
donkeys,  the  singing  of  women,  the  squalling  of  children, 
and  the  banging  of  the  huge  rattan,  wielded  by  the  jemadar 
or  leader  of  the  caravans,  who  beats  time  to  this  pastoral 
symphony. 

There,  spread  forth,  without  regard  to  order — ^indeed, 
we  may  say,  in  charming  disorder — are  the  showy  stuffs 
the  glass  beads,  the  ivory  tusks,  the  rhinoceros'-teeth,  the 
ehark's-teeth,  the  honey,  the  tobacco,  and  the  cotton  of 
these  regions,  to  be  purchased  at  the  strangest  of  bargains 
by  customers  in  whose  eyes  each  article  has  a  price  only 
n  proportion  to  the  desire  it  excites  to  possess  it. 

All  at  once  this  agitation,  movement  and  noise  stopped 
as  though  by  magic.  The  balloon  had  just  come  in  sight, 
far  aloft  in  the  sky,  where  it  hovered  majestically  for 
a  few  moments,  and  then  descended  slowly,  without  de- 
viating from  its  perpendicular.  Men,  women,  children, 
merchants  and  slaves,  Arabs  and  negroes,  as  suddenly 
disappeared  within  the  "  tembes  "  ^nd  the  huts. 

"  My  dear  doctor,"  said  Kennedy,  "  if  we  continue  to 
produce  such  a  sensation  as  this,  we  shall  find  some  diffi- 
culty in  establishing  commercial  relations  with  the  people 
hereabouts." 


AEBJVAJL   AT   KAZEH.  Ill 

"  There's  one  kind  of  trade  that  we  might  carry  on, 
though,  easily  enough,"  said  Joe ;  "  and  that  would  be  to 
go  down  there  quietly,  and  walk  off  with  the  best  of  the 
goods,  without  troubling  our  heads  about  the  merchants ; 
we'd  get  rich  that  way  I " 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  doctor,  "  these  natives  are  a  little 
scared  at  first ;  but  they  won't  be  long  in  coming  back, 
either  through  suspicion  or  through  curiosity." 

"Do  you  really  think  so,  doctor?" 

"  Well,  we'll  see  pretty  soon.  But  it  wouldn't  be  pru- 
dent to  go  too  near  to  them,  for  the  balloon  is  not  iron- 
clad, and  is,  therefore,  not  proof  against  either  an  arrow 
or  a  bullet." 

"  Then  you  expect  to  hold  a  parley  with  these  blacks  ?  " 

"  If  we  can  do  so  safely,  why  should  we  not  ?  There 
must  be  some  Ai-ab  merchants  here  at  Kazeh,  who  are  bet- 
ter informed  than  the  rest,  and  not  so  barbarous.  I  re- 
member that  Burton  and  Speke  had  nothing  but  praises 
to  utter  concerning  the  hospitality  of  these  people ;  so  we 
might,  at  least,  make  the  venture." 

The  balloon  having,  meanwhile,  gradually  approached 
the  ground,  one  of  the  anchors  lodged  in  the  top  of  a  tree 
near  the  market-place. 

By  this  time  the  whole  population  had  emerged  from 
their  hiding-places  stealthily,  thrusting  their  heads  out 
first.  Several  "  waganga,"  recognizable  by  their  badges 
of  conical  shellwork,  came  boldly  forward.  They  were 
the  sorcerers  of  the  place.  They  bore  in  their  girdles 
graall  gourds,  coated  with  tallow,  and  several  other  arti- 
cles of  witchcraft,  all  of  them,  by-the-way,  most  profes- 
fiionally  filthy. 

Little  by  little  the  crowd  gathered  beside  them,  the 
women  and  children  grouped  around  them,  the  drama 
renewed  their  deafening  uproar,  hands  Were  violently 
clapped  together,  and  then  raised  toward  the  sky. 


113  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BAJLLOON. 

"  That's  their  style  of  praying,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  and) 
if  I'm  not  mistaken,  we're  going  to  be  called  upon  to  play 
a  great  part." 

«WeU,  sir,  playit!" 

"You,  too,  my  good  Joe — perhaps  you're  to  be  f 
god!" 

"  Well,  master,  that  won't  trouble  me  much,  I  like  a 
little  flattery ! " 

At  this  moment,  one  of  the  sorcerers,  a  "  myanga," 
made  a  sign,  and  all  the  clamor  died  away  into  the  pro- 
foundest  silence.  He  then  addressed  a  few  words  to  the 
strangers,  but  in  an  unknown  tongue. 

Dr.  Ferguson,  not  having  understood  them,  shouted 
some  sentences  in  Arabic,  at  a  venture,  and  was  immedi- 
ately answered  in  that  language. 

The  speaker  below  then  delivered  himself  of  a  very 
copious  harangue,  which  was  also  very  flowery  and  very 
gravely  listened  to  by  his  audience.  Froiti  it  the  doctor 
was  not  slow  in  learning  that  the  balloon  was  mistaken  for 
nothing  less  than  the  moon  in  person,  and  that  the  ami- 
able goddess  in  question  had  condescended  to  approach 
the  town  with  her  three  sons — an  honor  that  would  never 
be  forgotten  in  this  land  so  greatly  loved  by  the  god  of 
day. 

The  doctor  responded,  with  much  dignity,  that  the 
moon  made  her  provincial  tour  every  thousand  years,  feel- 
ing the  necessity  of  shoAving  herself  nearer  at  hand  to  her 
worshippers.  He,  therefore,  begged  them  not  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  her  presence,  but  to  take  advantage  of  it  to 
make  known  all  their  wants  and  longings. 

The  sorcerer,  in  his  turn,  replied  that  the  sultan,  the 
"  mwani,"  who  had  been  sick  for  many  years,  implored 
the  aid  of  heaven,  and  he  invited  the  son  of  the  moon  to 
visit  him. 

The  doctor  acquainted  his  companions  with  the  invitar 
tion 


THE   DOCTOR   VISITS   THE    KINO.  11? 

"  And  you  are-  going  to  call  upon  this  negro  king  ?  " 
asked  Kennedy. 

"  Undoubtedly  so ;  these  people  appear  -well  disposed ; 
the  air  is  calm ;  there  is  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and  we  have 
nothing  to  fear  for  the  balloon  ?  " 

"  But,  what  will  you  do  ?  " 

"  Be  quiet  on  that  score,  my  deai  Dick.  "With  a  little 
medicine,  I  shall  work  my  way  through  the  afiair ! " 

Then,  addressing  the  crowd,  he  said : 

"  The  moon,  taking  compassion  on  the  sovereign  who 
is  so  dear  to  tlie  children  of  Unyamwezy,  has  charged  us 
to  restore  him  to  health.   Let  him  prepare  to  receive  us  !  " 

The  clamor,  the  songs  and  demonstrations  of  all  kinds 
increased  twofold,  and  the  whole  immense  ants'  nest  of 
black  heads  was  again  in  motion. 

"Now,  my  friends,"  said  Dr.  Ferguson,  "we  must 
look  out  for  every  thing  beforehand ;  we  may  be  forced  to 
leave  this  at  any  moment,  unexpectedly,  and  be  oS"  with 
extra  speed.  Dick  had  better  remain,  therefore,  in  the 
car,  and  keep  the  cylinder  warm  so  as  to  secure  a  sufficient 
ascensional  force  for  the  balloon.  The  anchor  is  solidly 
fastened,  and  there  is  nothing  to  fear  in  that  respect.  I 
shall  descend,  and  Joe  will  go  with  me,  only  that  he  must 
remain  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder." 

"  What !  are  you  going  alone  into  that  blackamoor' 
den  ?  " 

"  How !  doctor,  am  I  not  to  go  with  you  ?  " 

"  No !  I  shall  go  alone ;  these  good  folks  imagine  that 
the  goddess  of  the  moon  has  come  totseo  them,  and  their 
superstition  protects  me ;  so  have  no  fear,  and  each  one 
remain  at  the  post  that  I  have  assigned  to  him." 

"Well,  since  you  vnsh  it,"  sighed  Kennedy. 

"  Look  closely  to  the  dilation  of  the  gas." 

"  Agreed ! " 

By  this  time  the  shouts  of  the  natives  had  swelled  tc 


114  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

double  volume  as  they  veliemently  implored  the  aid  of  the 
heavenly  powers. 

"There,  there,"  said  Joe,  "they're  rather  rough  in 
their  orders  to  their  good  moon  and  her  divine  sons.*' 

The  doctor,  equipped  with  his  travelling  medicine- 
chest,  descended  to  the  ground,  preceded  by  Joe,  who  kept 
a  straight  countenance  and  looked  as  grave  and  knowinL' 
as  the  circumstances  of  the  case  required.  He  then  seatcl 
himself  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  in  the  Arab  fashion,  with 
his  legs  crossed  under  him,  and  a  portion  of  the  crowd 
collected  around  him  in  a  circle,  at  respectful  distances. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  doctor,  escorted  to  the  sound  of 
savage  instruraects,  and  with  wild  religious  dances,  slow- 
ly proceeded  toward  the  royal  "  tembe,"  situated  a  con- 
siderable distance  outside  of  the  town.  It  was  about  three 
o'clock,  and  the  sun  was  shining  brilhantly.  In  fact,  wliat 
less  could  it  do  upon  so  grand  an  occasion  ! 

The  doctor  stepped  along  with  great  dignity,  the 
waganga  surrounding  him  and  keeping  off  the  crowd.  He 
was  soon  joined  by  the  natural  son  of  the  sultan,  a  hand- 
somely-built young  fellow,  who,  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  country,  was  the  sole  heir  of  tlie  paternal  goods,  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  old  man's  legitimate  children.  He 
prostrated  himself  before  the  son  of  the  moon,  but  the 
latter  graciously  raised  him  to  his  feet. 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  later,  through  shady  paths, 
surrounded  by  all  the  luxuriance  of  tropical  vegetation, 
this  enthusiastic  procession  arrived  at  the  sultan's  palace, 
a  sort  of  square  edifice  called  ititenya^  and  situated  ou  the 
slope  of  a  hill. 

A  kind  of  veranda,  formed  by  the  thatched  roof, 
adorned  the  outside,  supported  upon  wooden  pillars,  Avhich 
had  some  pretensions  to  being  carved.  Long  lines  of  dark- 
red  clay  decorated  the  walls  in  characters  that  strove  to 
reproduce  the  forms  of  men  and  serpents,  the  latter  bcttar 


HE   18   KECErVED   WTTH   ALL   THE   H0N0E8.  115 

imitated,  of  course,  than  the  fonner.  The  roofing  of  this 
abode  did  not  rest  directly  upon  the  walls,  and  the  air 
could,  therefore,  circulate  freely,  but  windows  there  were 
none,  and  the  door  hardly  deserved  the  name. 

Dr.  Ferguson  was  received  with  all  the  honors  by  the 
guards  and  favorites  of  the  sultan ;  these  were  men  of  a 
fine  race,  the  Wanyamwezi  so-called,  a  pure  type  of  the 
central  African  populations,  strong,  robust,  well-made,  anl 
in  splendid  condition.  Their  hair,  divided  into  a  great 
number  of  small  tresses,  fell  over  their  shoulders,  and  by 
means  of  black-and-blue  incisions  they  had  tattooed  their 
cheeks  from  the  temples  to  the  mouth.  Their  ears,  fright- 
fully distended,  held  dangling  to  them  disks  of  wood  and 
plates  of  gum  copal.  They  were  clad  in  brilliantly-painted 
cloths,  and  the  soldiers  were  armed  with  the  saw-toothed 
war-club,  the  bow  and  arrows  barbed  and  poisoned  with 
the  juice  of  the  euphorbium,  the  cutlass,  the  '.'  sima,"  a  long 
sabre  (also  with  saw-like  teeth),  and  ome  small  battle- 
axes. 

The  doctor  advanced  into  the  palace,  and  there,  not- 
withstanding the  sultan's  illness,  the  din,  which  was  ter- 
rific before,  redoubled  the  instant  that  he  arrived.  He 
noticed,  at  the  lintels  of  the  door,  some  rabbits'  tails  and 
zebras'  manes,  suspended  as  talismans.  He  was  received 
by  the  whole  troop  of  his  majesty's  wives,  to  the  harmo- 
nious accords  of  the  "  upatu,"  a  sort  of  cymbal  made  of 
the  bottom  of  a  copper  kettle,  and  to  the  uproar  of  the 
"  kilindo,"  a  drum  five  feet  high,  hollowed  out  from  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  and  hammered  by  the  ponderous,  horny 
fists  of  two  jet-black  virtuosi 

Most  of  the  women  were  rather  good-looking,  and  they 
laughed  and  chattered  merrily  as  they  smoked  their  to- 
bacco and  "  thang  "  in  huge  black  pipes.  They  seemed 
to  be  well  made,  too,  under  the  long  robes  that  they  wore 
gracefully  flung  about  their  persons,  and  carried  a  sort  of 


116  FIVE  WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

»*  kilt "  woven  from  the  fibres  of  calabash  fastened  aroond 
their  girdles. 

Six  of  them  were  not  the  least  merry  of  the  party,  al- 
though put  aside  from  the  rest,  and  reserved  for  a  cruel 
fate.  On  the  death  of  the  sultan,  they  were  to  be  buried 
alive  with  him,  so  as  to  occupy  and  divert  his  mind  during 
the  period  of  eternal  solitude. 

Dr.  Ferguson,  taking  in  the  whole  scene  at  a  rapid 
glance,  approached  the  wooden  couch  on  which  the  sultan 
lay  reclining.  There  he  saw  a  man  of  about  forty,  com- 
pletely brutalized  by  orgies  of  every  description,  and  in  a 
condition  that  left  little  or  nothing  to  be  done.  The  sick- 
ness that  had  afflicted  him  for  so  many  years  was  simply 
perpetual  drunkenness.  The  royal  sot  had  nearly  lost  all 
consciousness,  and  all  the  ammonia  in  the  world  would 
not  have  set  him  on  his  feet  again. 

Ilis  favorites  and  the  women  kept  on  bended  knees 
during  this  solemn  visit.  By  means  of  a  few  drops  of 
powerful  cordial,  the  doctor  for  a  moment  reanimated  the 
imbruted  carcass  that  lay  before  him.  The  sultan  stirred, 
and,  for  a  dead  body  that  had  given  no  sign  whatever  of 
life  for  several  hours  previously,  this  symptom  was  re- 
ceived with  a  tremendous  repetition  of  shouts  and  cries  in 
the  doctor's  honor. 

The  latter,  who  had  seen  enough  of  it  by  this  time,  by  a 
rapid  motion  put  aside  his  too  demonstrative  admirers 
and  went  out  of  the  palace,  dii'ecting  his  steps  inunedi- 
ately  toward  the  balloon,  for  it  was  now  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening. 

Joe,  during  his  absence,  had  been  quietly  waiting  at 
the  foot  of  the  ladder,  where  the  crowd  paid  him  their 
most  humble  respects.  Like  a  genuine  son  of  the  moon, 
he  let  them  keep  on.  For  a  divinity,  he  had  the  air  of  a 
very  clever  sort  of  fellow,  by  no  means  proud,  nay,  even 
pleasingly  familiar  with  the  young  negresses,  who  seemed 


JOE   DANCES   A   EEEL.  117 

never  to  tire  of  looking  at  him.  Besides,  he  went  so  far 
as  to  chat  agreeably  with  them. 

"  "Worship  me,  ladies  1  worship  me ! "  he  said  to  them, 
"  I'm  a  clever  sort  of  devil,  if  I  am  the  son  of  a  goddess." 

They  brought  him  propitiatory  gifts,  such  as  are  usu 
ally  deposited  in  the  fetich  huts  or  mzimu.  These  gifts 
consisted  of  stalks  of  barley  and  of  " pombe."  Joe  con- 
sidered himself  in  duty  bound  to  taste  the  latter  species 
of  strong  beer,  but  his  palate,  although  accustomed  to  gin 
and  whiskey,  could  not  withstand  the  strength  of  the  new 
beverage,  and  he  had  to  make  a  horrible  grimace,  which 
his  dusky  friends  took  to  be  a  benevolent  smile. 

Thereupon,  the  young  damsels,  conjoining  their  voices 
in  a  drawling  chant,  began  to  dance  around  him  with  the 
utmost  graAdty. 

"Ah!  you're  dancing,  are  you?"  said  he.  "Well,  1 
won't  be  behind  you  in  politeness,  and  so  I'll  give  you  one 
of  my  country  reels." 

So  at  it  he  went,  in  one  of  the  wildest  jigs  that  ever 
was  seen,  twisting,  turning,  and  jerking  himself  in  all  di- 
rections ;  dancing  with  his  hands,  dancing  with  his  body, 
dancing  with  his  knees,  dancing  with  his  feet ;  describing 
the  most  fearful  contortions  and  extravagant  evolutions ; 
throwing  himself  into  incredible  attitudes ;  grimacing  be- 
yond all  belief,  and,  in  fine,  giving  his  savage  admirers  a 
strange  idea  of  the  style  of  ballet  adopted  by  the  deities 
in  the  moon. 

Then,  the  whole  collection  of  blacks,  naturally  as  imi- 
tative as  monkeys,  at  once  reproduced  all  his  airs  and 
graces,  his  leaps  and  shakes  and  contortions ;  they  did 
not  lose  a  single  gesticulation ;  they  did  not  forget  an  atti- 
tude ;  and  the  result  was,  such  a  pandemonium  of  move- 
ment, noise,  and  excitement,  as  it  would  be  out  of  the 
question  even  feebly  to  describe.  But,  in  the  very  midst 
of  the  fun,  Joe  saw  the  doctor  approaching. 


118  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

The  latter  was  coming  at  full  speed,  surrounded  by  a 
yelling  and  disorderly  throng.  The  chiefs  and  sorcerers 
seemed  to  be  highly  excited.  They  were  close  upon  the 
doctor's  heels,  crowding  and  threatening  him. 

Singular  reaction !  What  had  happened  ?  Had  the 
Bultan  unluckily  perished  in  the  hands  of  his  celestial 
physician  ? 

Kennedy,  from  his  post  of  observation,  saw  the  danger 
without  knowing  what  had  caused  it,  and  the  balloon, 
powerfully  urged  by  the  dilation  of  the  gas,  strained  and 
tugged  at  the  ropes  that  held  it  as  though  impatient  to 
soar  away. 

The  doctor  had  got  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  A 
superstitious  fear  still  held  the  crowd  aloof  and  hindered 
them  from  committing  any  violence  on  his  person.  He 
rapidly  scaled  the  ladder,  and  Joe  followed  him  Avith  his 
usual  agility. 

"  Not  a  moment  to  lose  ! "  said  the  doctor.  "  Don't 
attempt  to  let  go  the  anchor  I  We'll  cut  the  cord  1  Fol- 
low me ! " 

"  But  what's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Joe,  clambering  into 
the  car. 

"What's  happened?"  questioned  Kennedy,  rifle  in 
hand. 

"  Look ! "  replied  the  doctor,  pointing  to  the  horizon. 

"Well?"  ejaculated  the  Scot. 

"Well!  the  moon!" 

And,  in  fact,  there  was  the  moon  rising  red  and  mag- 
nificent, a  globe  of  fire  in  a  field  of  blue '  It  was  she,  in- 
deed— she  and  the  balloon ! — both  in  one  sky  ! 

Either  there  were  two  moons,  then,  or  tliese  strangers 
were  impostors,  designing  scam^js,  false  deities ! 

Such  were  the  very  natural  reflections  of  the  crowd, 
and  hence  the  reaction  in  their  feelings. 

Joe  could  not,  for  the  life  of  him,  keep  in  a  roar  of 


The  astoniehment  of  the  people  was  great  on  seeing  one  of  their  number 
carried  away. 


THE    80KCEKEB    OAT.RIED    OFF.  119 

laughter;  and  the  population  of  Kazeh,  comprehending 
that  their  prey  was  slipping  through  their  clutches,  set 
up  prolonged  howlings,  aiming,  the  while,  their  bows  and 
muskets  at  the  balloon. 

But  one  of  the  sorcerers  made  a  sign,  and  all  the 
weapons  were  lowered.  He  then  began  to  climb  into  the 
tree,  intending  to  seize  the  rope  and  bring  the  machine  to 
the  ground. 

Joe  leaned  out  with  a  hatchet  ready.  "Shall  I  cut 
away  ?  "  said  he. 

"  No ;  wait  a  moment,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"But  this  black?" 

"We  may,  perhaps,  save  our  anchor — and  I  hoH  a 
great  deal  by  that.  There'll  always  be  time  enough  to 
cut  loose." 

The  sorcerer,  having  climbed  to  the  right  place,  work- 
ed 80  vigorously  that  he  succeeded  in  detaching  the  an- 
chor, and  the  latter,  violently  jerked,  at  that  moment, 
by  the  start  oi  the  balloon,  caught  the  rascal  between 
the  limbs,  and  carried  him  off  astride  of  it  through  the 
air. 

The  (Stupefaction  of  the  crowd  was  indescribable  as 
they  saw  one  of  their  waganga  thus  whirled  away  into 
space. 

" Huzza !"  roared  Joe,  as  the  balloon — thanks  to  its 
ascensional  force — shot  up  higher  into  the  sky,  with  in- 
creased rapidity. 

"  He  holds  on  well,"  said  Kennedy ;  "  a  little  trip  will 
do  him  good." 

"  Shall  we  let  this  darkey  drop  all  at  once  ?  "  inquired 
Joe. 

"  Oh  no,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  we'll  let  liim  down 
easily ;  and  I  warrant  me  that,  after  such  an  adventure, 
the  power  of  the  wizard  will  be  enormously  enhanced  io 
the  sight  of  his  comrades." 


120  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A   BALLOON. 

"  Why,  I  wouldn't  put  it  past  them  to  make  a  god  of 
him  I  "  said  Joe,  with  a  laugh. 

Tlie  Victoria,  by  this  time,  had  risen  to  the  Height  of 
cue  thousand  feet,  and  the  black  hung  to  the  rope  with 
desperate  energy.  He  had  become  completely  silent,  and 
his  eyes  were  fixed,  for  his  terror  was  blended  with  amaze- 
ment. A  light  west  wind  was  sweeping  the  balloon  right 
over  the  town,  and  far  beyond  it. 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  doctor,  seeing  the  country  de- 
serted, moderated  the  flame  of  his  cylinder,  and  descended 
toward  the  ground.  At  twenty  feet  above  the  turf,  the 
affi-ighted  sorcerer  made  up  his  mind  in  a  twinkling :  he 
let  himself  drop,  fell  on  his  feet,  and  scampered  off  at  a 
furious  pace  toward  Kazeh ;  while  t]i«  balloon,  suddenly 
relieved  of  his  weight,  again  shot  up  on  her  course. 


CHAPTER   SIXTEENTH. 

Symptome  of  a  S'orm.— The  Country  of  tbe  Moon.— The  Future  of  the  Africac 
Continent.— The  L-ist  Macliine  of  all.— A  View  of  the  Country  at  SnaeeU— 
Flora  and  Fauna.- The  Tempest.— The  Zone  of  Fire.— The  Starry  neareus. 

"  See,"  said  Joe,  "  what  comes  of  playing  the  sons  of 
the  moon  without  her  leave !  She  came  near  serving  us 
an  ugly  trick.  But  say,  master,  did  you  damage  your 
credit  as  a  physician  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  chimed  in  the  sportsman.  "  What  kind 
of  a  dignitary  was  this  Sultan  of  Kazeh  ?  " 

"An  old  half-dead  sot,"  replied  the  doctor,  "whose 
loss  will  not  be  very  severely  felt.  But  the  moral  of  all 
this  is  that  honors  are  fleeting,  and  we  must  not  take  too 
great  a  fancy  to  them." 

"So  much  the  worse!"  rejoined  Joe.  "I  liked  the 
thing — to  be  worshipped  ! — Play  the  god  as  you  like  I 
Why,  what  would  any  one  ask  more  than  that?  By-the- 
way,  the  moon  did  come  up,  too,  and  all  red,  as  '*'  she 
was  in  a  rage." 

While  the  three  friends  went  on  chatting  of  this  and 
other  things,  and  Joe  examined  the  luminary  of  night 
from  an  entirely  novel  point  of  view,  the  heavens  became 
covered  with  heavy  clouds  to  the  northward,  and  the  lower- 
ing masses  assumed  a  most  sinister  and  threatening  look. 
Quite  a  smart  breeze,  found  about  three  hundred  feet  from 
the  earth,  drove  the  balloon  toward  the  north-northeast ; 
and  above  it  the  blue  vault  was  clear;  but  the  atmosphor* 
felt  cIoBe  and  dulL 


122  FIVF    WTEEKS   IN    A   BAIXOON. 

The  aCroiiants  found  themselves,  at  about  eight  in  the 
evening,  in  thirty-two  degrees  forty  minutes  east  longi* 
tude,  and  four  degrees  seventeen  minutes  latitude.  The 
atmospheric  currents,  under  the  influence  of  a  tempest 
not  far  off,  were  driving  them  at  the  rate  of  from  thirty 
to  thirty-five  miles  an  hour ;  the  undulating  and  fertile 
plains  of  Mfuto  were  passing  swiftly  beneath  them.  The 
spectacle  was  one  worthy  of  admiration — and  admire  it 
they  did, 

"  We  are  now  right  in  the  country  of  the  Moon,"  said 
Dr.  Ferguson;  "for  it  has  retained  the  nc.^e  that  anti- 
quity gave  it,  imdoubtedly,  because  the  moon  has  been 
worshipped  there  in  all  ages.  It  is,  really,  a  superb 
country." 

"  It  would  be  hard  to  find  more  splendid  vegetation." 

"  K  we  found  the  like  of  it  around  London  it  would 
not  be  natural,  but  it  would  be  very  pleasant,"  put  in  Joe. 
"  ^VTiy  is  it  that  such  savage  countries  get  all  these  fine 
things  ?  " 

"And  who  knows,"  said  the  doctor,  "that  this  country 
may  not,  one  day,  become  the  centre  of  civilization  ?  The 
races  of  the  future  may  repair  hither,  when  Europe  shall 
have  become  exhausted  in  the  effort  to  feed  her  inhabitants." 

"  Do  you  think  so,  really  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Undoubtedly,  my  dear  Dick.  Just  note  the  prog- 
ress of  events :  consider  the  migrations  of  races,  and  you 
will  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion  assuredly.  Asia  was 
the  first  nurse  of  the  world,  was  she  not  ?  For  about  four 
thousand  years  she  travailed,  she  grew  pregnant,  she  pro- 
duced, and  then,  when  stones  began  to  cover  the  soil 
where  the  golden  harvests  sung  by  Homer  had  flourished, 
her  children  abandoned  her  exhausted  and  barren  bosom 
You  next  see  them  precipitating  themselves  upon  young 
and  vigorous  Europe,  which  has  nourished  them  for  the 
last  two  thousand  years.     But  already  her  fertility  is  be 


PE0GNOSTI0ATION8.  123 

ginning  to  die  out ;  her  productive  powers  are  diminishing 
every  day.  Those  new  diseases  that  annually  attack  the 
products  of  the  soil,  those  defective  crops,  those  insuffi- 
cient resources,  are  all  signs  of  a  vitality  that  is  rapidly 
w^eariug  out  and  of  an  approaching  exhaustion.  Thus,  we 
already  see  the  millions  rushing  to  the  luxuriant  bosom  of 
America,  as  a  source  of  help,  not  inexhaustible  indeed,  but 
not  yet  exhausted.  In  its  turn,  that  new  continent  will 
grow  old  ;  its  virgin  forests  will  fall  before  the  axe  of  in- 
dustry, and  its  soil  will  become  weak  through  having  too 
fully  produced  what  had  been  demanded  of  it.  Where 
two  harvests  bloomed  every  year,  hardly  one  will  be  gath- 
ered-from  a  soil  completely  drained  of  its  strength.  Then, 
Africa  will  be  there  to  offer  to  new  races  the  treasures 
that  for  centuries  have  been  accumulating  in  her  breast. 
Those  climates  now  so  fatal  to  strangers  will  be  purified  by 
cultivation  and  by  drainage  of  the  soil,  and  those  scattered 
water  supplies  will  be  gathered  into  one  common  bed  to 
form  an  artery  of  navigation.  Then  this  country  over 
which  we  are  now  passing,  more  fertile,  richer,  and  fuller 
of  vitality  than  the  rest,  will  become  some  grand  realm 
where  more  astonishing  discoveries  than  steam  and  elec- 
tricity will  be  brought  to  light." 

"  Ah !  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  I'd  like  to  see  all  that." 
"  You  got  up  too  early  in  the  morning,  my  boy ! " 
"  Besides,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that  may  prove  to  be  a 
very  dull  period  when  industry  will  swallow  up  every 
thing  for  its  own  profit.  By  dint  of  inventing  macliinery, 
men  will  end  in  being  eaten  up  by  it !  I  have  always 
fancied  that  the  end  of  the  earth  will  be  when  some  enor- 
mous boiler,  heated  to  thi-ee  thousand  millions  of  atmos- 
pheric pressure,  shall  explode  and  blow  up  our  Globe  ! " 

"  And  I  add  that  the  Americans,"  said  Joe,  "  will  net 
have  been  the  last  to  work  at  the  machine !  " 

"In  fact,"  assented  the  doctor,  "they  are  great  boiler- 


124  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BALLOON. 

makers  1  But,  without  allowing  ourselves  to  be  earned 
away  by  such  speculations,  let  us  rest  content  with  enjoy- 
ing the  beauties  of  this  country  of  the  Moon,  since  we  have 
been  permitted  to  see  it." 

The  sun,  darting  his  last  rays  beneath  the  masses  of 
heaped-up  cloud,  adorned  with  a  crest  of  gold  the  slightest 
inequalities  of  the  ground  below ;  gigantic  trees,  arbores^ 
cent  bushes,  mosses  on  the  even  surface — all  had  their 
share  of  this  luminous  effulgence.  The  soil,  slightly  undu- 
lating, here  and  there  rose  into  little  conical  hills ;  there 
were  no  mountains  visible  on  the  horizon ;  immense  bram- 
bly  palisades,  impenetrable  hedges  of  thorny  jungle,  sepa- 
rated the  clearings  dotted  with  numerous  villages,  and 
immense  euphorbias  surrounded  them  with  natural  fortifi- 
cations, interlacing  their  trunks  with  the  coral-shaped 
branches  of  the  shrubbery  and  undergrowth. 

Ere  long,  the  Malagazeri,  the  chief  tributary  of  Lake 
Taganayika,  was  seen  winding  between  heavy  thickets 
of  verdure,  offering  an  asylum  to  many  water-courses  that 
spring  from  the  torrents  formed  in  the  season  of  freshets, 
or  from  ponds  hollowed  in  the  clayey  soil.  To  observers 
looking  from  a  height,  it  was  a  chain  of  waterfalls  thrown 
across  the  whole  western  face  of  the  country. 

Animals  with  huge  humps  were  feeding  in  the  luxuri- 
ant prairies,  and  were  half  hidden,  sometimes,  in  the  tall 
grass ;  spreading  forests  in  bloom  redolent  of  spicy  per- 
fumes presented  themselves  to  the  gaze  like  immense  bou- 
quets ;  but,  in  these  bouquets,  lions,  leopards,  hyenas,  and 
tigers,  were  then  crouching  for  shelter  fi*om  the  last  hot 
rays  of  the  setting  sun.  From  time  to  time,  an  elephant 
made  the  tall  tops  of  the  undergrowth  sway  to  and  fi-o, 
and  you  could  hear  the  crackling  of  huge  branches  as  hia 
ponderous  ivory  tusks  broke  them  in  his  way. 

"  What  a  sporting  country  1 "  exclaimed  Dick,  unable 
longer  to  restrain  his  enthusiasm ;  "  why,  a  single  ball  fired 


THE   COMING    TEMPEST.  125 

at  random  into  those  forests  would  bring  down  game 
worthy  of  it.     Suppose  we  just  try  it  once ! " 

"No,  my  dear  Dick;  the  night  is  close  at  hand — a 
threatening  night  with  a  tempest  in  the  background — and 
the  storms  are  awful  in  this  country,  where  the  heated  soil 
ifl  like  one  vast  electric  battery." 

"  You  are  right,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  the  heat  has  got  to  be 
enough  to  choke  one,  and  the  breeze  has  died  away.  One 
can  feel  that  something's  coming," 

"  The  atmosphere  is  saturated  with  electricity,"  replied 
the  doctor ;  "  every  living  creature  is  sensible  that  this 
state  of  the  air  portends  a  struggle  of  the  elements,  and  I 
confess  that  I  never  before  was  so  full  of  the  fluid  myself" 

"  Well,  then,"  suggested  Dick,  "  would  it  not  be  advis- 
able to  alight  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  Dick,  I'd  rather  go  up,  only  that  I 
am  afraid  of  being  carried  out  of  my  course  by  these 
counter-currents  contending  in  the  atmosphere." 

"Have  you  any  idea,  then,  of  abandoning  the  route 
that  we  have  followed  since  we  left  the  coast  ?  " 

"  If  I  can  manage  to  do  so,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  I  will 
tiirn  more  directly  northward,  by  from  seven  to  eight  de- 
grees ;  I  shall  then  endeavor  to  ascend  toward  the  pre- 
sumed latitudes  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile ;  perhaps  we 
may  discover  some  traces  of  Captain  Speke's  expedition 
or  of  ]\L  de  Heuglui's  caravan.  Unless  I  am  mistaken,  we 
are  at  thirty-two  degrees  forty  minutes  east  longitude, 
and  I  should  like  to  ascend  directly  north  of  the  equator." 

"Look  there!"  exclaimed  Kennedy,  suddenly,  "see 
those  hippopotami  sliding  out  of  the  pools — those  masses 
of  blood-colored  flesh — and  those  crocodiles  snufling  the 
air  aloud  1 " 

"  They're  choking  I "  ejaculated  Joe.  "  Ah  I  what  a  fine 
way  to  travel  this  is ;  and  how  one  can  snap  his  fingers  at 
all  that  vermin  I — Doctor  1    Mr.  Kennedy  1  see  those  packa 


126  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOOIT. 

of  wild  animals  hurrying  along  close  together.  There  ar« 
fully  two  hundrod-     Those  are  wolves." 

"  No  1  Joe,  not  wolves,  but  wild  dogs ;  a  famous  breed 
that  does  not  hesitate  to  attack  the  lion  himselt  They 
are  the  worst  customers  a  traveller  could  meet,  for  they 
would  instantly  tear  him  to  pieces." 

"  Well,  it  isn't  Joe  that'll  undertake  to  muzzle  them  I  *' 
responded  that  amiable  youth.  "  After  all,  though,  if 
that's  the  rature  of  the  beast,  me  mustn't  be  too  hard  on 
them  for  it ! " 

Silence  gradually  settled  down  under  the  influence  of 
the  impending  storm :  the  thickened  air  actually  seemed 
no  longer  adapted  to  the  transmission  of  sound ;  the  at- 
mosphere appeared  mriffled,  and,  like  a  room  hung  with 
tapestry,  lost  all  its  sonorous  reverbei'ation.  The  "  rov- 
er bird"  so-called,  the  coroneted  crane,  the  red  and 
blue  jays,  the  mocking-bird,  the  flycatcher,  disappeared 
among  the  foliage  of  the  immense  trees,  and  all  nature 
revealed  symptoms  of  some  approaching  catastrophe. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  Yictoria  hung  motionless  over 
Ms6ne,  an  extensive  group  of  \allages  scarcely  distinguish- 
able in  the  gloom.  Once  in  a  while,  the  reflection  of  a 
wandering  ray  of  light  in  the  dull  water  disclosed  a  suc- 
3ession  of  ditches  regularly  arranged,  and,  by  one  last 
gleam,  the  eye  could  make  out  the  calm  and  sombre  forms 
of  palm-trees,  sycamores,  and  gigantic  euphorbioe. 

"  I  am  stifling ! "  said  the  Scot,  inhaling,  -^dth  all  the 
power  of  his  lungs,  as  much  as  possible  of  the  rarefied  air. 
*'  We  are  not  moving  an  inch  !     Let  us  descend !  " 

"  But  the  tempest ! "  said  the  doctor,  with  much  un- 
easiness. 

"  If  you  are  afraid  of  being  carried  away  by  the  wind, 
it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  no  other  course  to  pursue." 

"  Perhaps  the  storm  won't  burst  to-night,"  saia  Joe  j 
*  the  clouds  are  very  high." 


PEEPAKING  FOB  THE   BTOEai:.  127 

"That  is  just  tlie  tiling  that  makes  me  hesitate  about 
going  beyond  them ;  "we  should  have  to  rise  still  higher, 
lose  sight  of  the  eartli,  and  not  know  all  night  whether 
we  were  moving  forward  or  not,  or  in  what  dii'ection  wc 
were  going." 

"Make  up  your  mind,  dear  doctor,  for  time  press- 
es!" 

*  Iu'b  i  pit  J  that  the  wind  has  fallen,"  said  Joe,  again ; 
"  it  would  have  carried  us  clear  of  the  storm." 

"It  is,  indeed,  a  pity,  my  friends,"  rejoined  the  doctor. 
"  The  clouds  are  dangerous  for  us ;  they  contain  opposing 
currents  which  might  catch  us  in  their  eddies,  and  light- 
nings that  might  set  on  lire.  Again,  those  perils  avoided, 
the  force  of  the  tempest  might  hurl  us  to  the  ground,  were 
we  to  cast  our  anchor  in  the  tree-tops." 

"  Then  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"Well,  we  must  try  to  get  the  balloon  into  a  medium 
zone  of  the  atmosphere,  and  there  keep  her  suspended  be- 
tween the  perils  of  the  heavens  and  those  of  the  earth. 
We  have  enough  water  for  the  cylinder,  and  our  two  hun- 
dred pounds  of  ballast  ar,e  untouched.  In  case  of  emer- 
gency I  can  use  them." 

"  We  -will  keep  watch  with  you,"  said  the  hunter. 

"  No,  my  friends,  put  the  provisions  under  shelter,  and 
lie  down ;  I  will  rouse  you,  if  it  becomes  necessary." 

"  But,  master,  woiddn't  you  do  well  to  take  some  rest 
yourself,  as  there's  no  danger  close  on  us  just  now  ?  "  in- 
sisted poor  Joe. 

"No,  thank  you,  my  good  fellow,  I  prefer  to  keep 
awake.  We  are  not  moving,  and  should  circumstances 
not  change,  we'll  find  ourselves  to-morrow  in  exactly  the 
same  place." 

"  Good-night,  then,  sir ! " 

"  Good-night,  if  you  can  only  find  it  so  1 " 

Kennedy  and  Joe  stretched  themselves  oat  under  theit 


128  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

blankets,  and  the  doctor  remained  alone  in  the  ImmenBity 
of  space. 

However,  the  huge  dome  of  clouds  visibly  descended, 
and  the  darkness  became  profound.  The  black  vault 
closed  in  upon  the  earth  as  if  to  crush  it  in  its  embrace. 

All  at  once  a  violent,  rapid,  incisive  flash  of  lightning 
pierced  the  gloom,  and  the  rent  it  made  had  not  closed 
ere  a  frightful  clap  of  thunder  shook  the  celestial  depths. 

"  Up !  up !  turn  out !  "  shouted  Ferguson. 

The  two  sleepers,  aroused  by  the  terrible  concussion 
were  at  the  doctor's  orders  in  a  moment. 

"Shall  we  descend?"  said  Kennedy. 

"  No !  the  balloon  could  not  stand  it.  Let  us  go  up 
before  those  clouds  dissolve  in  water,  and  the  wind  is  let 
loose ! "  and,  so  saying,  the  doctor  actively  stirred  up  the 
flame  of  the  cylinder,  and  tm-ned  it  on  the  spirals  of  the 
serpentine  siphon. 

The  tempests  of  the  tropics  develop  with  a  rapidity 
equalled  only  by  their  violence.  A  second  flash  of  light- 
ning rent  the  darkness,  and  was  followed  by  a  score  of 
others  in  quick  succession.  The  sky  was  crossed  and  dot- 
ted, like  the  zebra's  hide,  with  electric  sparks,  which  danced 
and  flickered  beneath  the  great  drops  of  rain. 

"  We  have  delayed  too  long,"  exclaimed  the  doctoi 
"  we  must  now  pass  through  a  zone  of  fire,  with  our  bal 
loon  filled  as  it  is  with  inflammable  gas  ! " 

"  But  let  U8  descend,  then !  let  us  descend ! "  urged 
Kennedy. 

"  The  risk  of  being  struck  would  be  just  about  even, 
and  we  should  soon  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  branches  of 
the  trees ! " 

"  We  are  going  up,  doctor  I " 

"  Quicker,  quicker  still ! " 

In  this  part  of  Africa,  during  the  equatorial  storms,  ii 
b  not  rare  to  count  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  flashei  of 


m  THE  sTomL  129 

lightning  per  minute.     The  sky  is  literally  on  fire,  and  the 
crashes  of  thunder  are  contiimous. 

The  wind  burst  forth  with  frightful  violence  in  this 
burning  atmospliere ;  it  twisted  the  blazing  clouds ;  one 
might  have  compared  it  to  the  breath  of  some  gigantic 
bellows,  fanning  all  this  conflagration. 

Dr.  I'crguson  kept  his  cylinder  at  full  heat,  and  the 
balloon  dilated  and  went  up,  while  Kennedy,  on  his  knees, 
iield  together  the  curtains  of  the  awning.  The  balloon 
whirled  round  wildly  enough  to  make  their  heads  turn, 
and  the  aeronauts  got  some  very  alarming  jolts,  indeed,  as 
their  machine  swung  and  swayed  in  all  directions.  Huge 
cavities  would  form  in  the  silk  of  the  balloon  as  the  wind 
fiercely  bent  it  in,  and  the  stuff"  fairly  cracked  like  a  pistol 
as  it  flew  back  fi-om  the  pressure.  A  sort  of  hail,  pre- 
ceded by  a  rumbling  noise,  hissed  through  the  air  and 
rattled  on  the  covering  of  the  Victoria.  The  latter,  how- 
ever, continued  to  ascend,  wlrle  the  lightning  described 
tangents  to  the  convexity  of  her  circumference ;  but  she 
boie  on,  right  through  the  midst  of  the  fire. 

"God  protect  us!"  said  Dr.  Ferguson,  solemnly,  "we 
are  in  His  hands ;  He  alone  can  save  us — but  let  us  bo 
ready  for  every  event,  even  for  fire — our  fall  could  not  bo 
very  rapid." 

The  doctor's  voice  could  scarcely  be  heard  by  his  com- 
panions ;  but  they  could  see  his  countenance  calm  as  ever 
even  amid  the  flashing  of  the  lightnings ;  he  was  watching 
the  phenomena  of  phosphorescence  produced  by  the  fires 
of  St.  Elmo,  that  were  now  skipping  to  and  fro  along  the 
network  of  the  balloon. 

The  latter  whirled  and  swung,  but  steadily  ascended, 
and,  ere  the  hour  was  over,  it  had  passed  the  stormy  belt. 
The  electric  display  was  going  on  below  it  like  a  vast 
crown  of  artificial  fireworks  suspended  from  the  car. 

Then  they  enjoyed  one  of  the  grandest  spectacles  that 


130  nVB   WEEK3   m   A   BALLOON. 

Nature  can  oifcr  to  the  gaze  ot  man.  Below  them,  the 
tempest ;  abv)vo  thorn,  the  starry  firmament,  tranquil, 
mute,  impassible,  wiih  the  moon  projectiog  her  peaceful 
rays  over  these  angry  clouds. 

Dr.  Ferguson  consulted  the  barometer ;  it  announced 
twelve  thousand  feet  of  elevation.  It  was  then  eleven 
©''clock  at  night. 

"Tliank  lloaven,  all  danger  is  past ;  all  we  have  to  do 
now,  is,  to  keep  ourselves  at  this  height,"  said  the  doctor. 

"It  was  frightful!"  I'cmarked  Kennedy. 

"  Oil !"  said  Joe,  "  it  gives  a  liltle  variety  to  the  trip, 
and  Tin  not  sorry  to  have  seen  a  storm  from  a  tritling  dis- 
tance up  in  the  air.     It's  a  tine  sight  I " 


CHAPTER   SEYEXTEEXTH. 

rtie  MonntalDS  of  the  Moon. — An  Ocean  of  Verdnrc.— They  cast  Anchor.— Th« 
Towing  Elephant.— A  Running  Fire.— Death  of  the  Monster.— The  Field- 
Oven. — A  Meal  ou  the  Grass.— A  !Nii,'ht  ou  the  Ground. 

About  four  in  tlie  morning,  Monday,  the  snn  reap- 
peared in  the  horizon ;  the  clouds  had  dispersed,  and  a 
cheery  breeze  refreshed  the  morning  dawn. 

The  eartli,  all  redolent  with  fragrant  exhalations,  re- 
appeared to  the  gaze  of  our  travellers.  Tlie  balloon, 
whirled  about  by  opposing  currents,  had  hardly  budged 
from  its  place,  and  the  doctor,  letting  the  gas  contract, 
descended  so  as  to  get  a  more  northerly  direction.  For 
a  long  while  his  quest  was  fioiitless ;  the  wind  carried  him 
toward  the  west  until  he  came  in  sight  of  the  famous 
Mountains  of  the  Moon,  which  grouped  themselves  in  a 
Bcmicircle  around  the  extremity  of  LakeTaganayika  ;  their 
ridges,  but  slightly  indented,  stood  out  against  the  bluish 
horizon,  so  that  they  might  have  been  mistaken  for  a  nat- 
ural fortification,  not  to  be  passed  by  the  explorers  of  the 
centre  of  Africa.  Among  them  were  a  few  isolated  cones, 
revealing  the  mark  of  the  eternal  snows. 

"  Here  we  are  at  last,"  said  the  doctor,  "in  an  unex- 
plored country!  Captain  Burton  pushed  very  far  to  the 
westward,  but  he  could  not  reach  those  celebrated  moun- 
tains; he  even  denied  their  existence,  strongly  as  it  was 
affirmed  by  Speke,  his  companion.  He  pretended  that 
they  were  born  in  the  latter's  fancy ;  but  for  is,  my 
friends,  there  is  no  fui-ther  doubt  possible." 

M 


132  FIVE  WEEKS   UT  A  BALLOOW. 

"  Shall  we  cross  then  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Not,  if  it  please  God.  I  am  looldng  for  a  wind  that 
will  take  me  back  toward  the  equator.  I  will  even  wait 
for  one,  if  necessary,  and  will  make  the  balloon  like  a  ship 
that  casts  anchor,  until  favorable  breezes  come  up." 

But  the  foresight  of  the  doctor  was  not  long  in  bring- 
ing its  reward ;  for,  after  having  tried  different  heights, 
the  Victoria  at  length  began  to  sail  off  to  the  northeast- 
ward with  medium  speed. 

"  We  are  in  the  right  track,"  said  the  doctor,  consult- 
ing his  compass,  "  and  scarcely  two  hundred  feet  from  the 
Fxirlace ;  lucky  circumstances  for  us,  enabling  us,  as  they 
do,  to  reconnoitre  these  new  regions.  When  Captain 
Spc-ke  set  out  to  discover  Lake  Ukereoue,  he  ascended 
more  to  the  eastward  in  a  straight  line  above  Kazeh." 

"  Shall  we  keep  on  long  in  this  way  ? "  inquired  the 
Scot. 

"  Perhaps.  Our  object  is  to  push  a  point  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  sources  of  the  Nile;  and  we  have  more  than 
six  hundred  miles  to  make  before  we  get  to  the  extreme 
limit  reached  by  the  explorers  who  came  from  the 
north." 

"And  we  shan't  set  foot  on  the  solid  ground?"  mur- 
mured Joe;  "  it's  enough  to  cramp  a  fellow's  legs  ! " 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed,  my  good  Joe,"  said  the  doctor,  re- 
assuring him  ;  "  we  have  to  economize  our  provisions,  you 
know  ;  and  on  the  way,  Dick,  you  must  get  us  some  fresh 
meat." 

"  "Whenever  you  like,  doctor." 

"  We  shall  also  have  to  replenish  our  stock  of  water. 
Who  knows  but  we  may  be  carried  to  some  of  the  dried- 
op  regions?    So  we  cannot  take  too  many  precautions." 

At  noon  tlie  Victoria  was  at  twenty-nine  degrees  fiiiteeD 
minutes  east  longitude,  and  three  degrees  fifteeen  minutes 
Bouth  latitude.     She  p.'issed  the  village  of  Uyofu,  the  last 


tOOBJXO    FOB    AN    AN-CHOEAQE.  133 

northern  limit  of  the  Unyamwezi,  opposite  to  the  Lake 
Ukcr^oue,  which  could  still  be  seen. 

The  tribes  living  near  to  the  equator  seem  to  be  a  lit- 
tle more  civilized,  and  are  governed  by  absolute  raonarchs, 
whose  control  is  an  unlLiuited  despotism.  Their  most  com- 
pact union  of  power  constitutes  the  province  of  Kara- 
gwah. 

It  was  decided  by  the  aeronauts  that  they  wouM 
alight  at  the  first  favorable  place.  They  found  that  they 
should  have  to  make  a  prolonged  halt,  and  take  a  careful 
inspection  of  the  balloon :  so  the  flame  of  the  cylinder 
was  moderated,  and  the  anchors,  flung  out  from  the  car, 
ere  long  began  to  sweep  the  grass  of  an  immense  prairie, 
that,  from  a  certain  height,  looked  like  a  shaven  lawn, 
but  the  growth  of  which,  in  reality,  was  from  seven  to 
eight  feet  in  height. 

Tlie  balloon  skimmed  this  tall  grass  vrithout  bending 
it,  like  a  gigantic  butterfly:  not  an  obstacle  was  in  sight; 
it  was  an  ocean  of  verdure  without  a  single  breaker. 

"  We  might  proceed  a  long  time  in  this  style,"  re- 
marked Kennedy ;  "  I  don't  see  one  tree  that  we  could 
approach,  and  I'm  afraid  that  our  hunt's  over." 

"  Wait,  Dick ;  you  could  not  hunt  anyhow  in  this 
grass,  that  grows  higher  than  your  head.  We'll  find  a 
favorable  place  presently." 

In  truth,  it  was  a  charming  excursion  that  they  were 
making  now — a  veritable  navigation  on  this  green,  almost 
transparent  sea,  gently  undulating  in  the  breath  of  the 
wind.  The  little  car  seemed  to  cleave  the  waves  of  ver- 
dure, and,  from  time  to  time,  coveys  of  birds  of  magnifi- 
cent plumage  would  rise  fluttering  from  trie  tall  herbage, 
and  speed  away  with  joyous  cries.  The  anchors  plunged 
into  this  lake  of  flowers,  and  traced  a  furrf^w  that  closed 
behind  them,  like  the  wake  of  a  ship. 

All  at  once  a  sharp  shock  was  felt — the  anchor  had 


134  TIYB  WEEKS    m    A  BALLOON. 

caught  iu  tlie  fissure  of  some  rock  hidden  in  the  high 

grass. 

"  We  are  fast  I "  exclaimed  Joe. 

These  words  had  scarcely  been  uttered  when  a  shrill 
cry  rang  through  the  air,  and  the  following  phrases,  min- 
gled wilh  exclamations,  escaped  from  the  lips  of  our  trav 
ellers : 

"What's  that?" 

"  A  strange  cry  1 " 

"Look !    Wliy,  weVe  moving  1 " 

"  The  anchor  has  slipped  1 " 

"Ko;  it  holds,  and  holds  fast  too!"  said  Joe,  who 
was  tugging  at  the  rope. 

"  It's  the  rock,  then,  that's  moving ! " 

An  immense  rustling  was  noticed  in  the  grass,  and 
Boon  an  elongated,  winding  shape  was  seen  rising  above  it. 

"A  serpent ! "  shouted  Joe. 

"A  serpent!"  repeated  Kennedy,  handling  his  rifle. 

"  No,"  said  the  doctor,  "  it's  an  elephant's  trunk ! " 

"  An  elephant,  Samuel  ?  " 

And,  as  Kennedy  said  this,  he  drew  his  rifle  to  his 
should  or. 

"  Wait,  Dick ;  wait ! " 

"  That's  a  fact !    The  animal's  towing  ns ! " 

"  And  in  the  right  direction,  Joe — in  the  right  direc- 
tion." 

The  elephant  was  now  making  some  headway,  and 
soon  reached  a  clearing  where  his  whole  body  could  be 
seen.  By  his  gigantic  size,  tlie  doctor  recognized  a  male 
of  :i  supevD  species.  He  had  two  whitish  tusks,  beauti- 
fully curved,  and  about  eight  feet  in  length  ;  and  in  these 
the  sh.anks  of  the  anchor  had  firmly  caught.  The  animal 
was  vainiy  trying  with  his  trunk  to  disengage  himself  from 
the  rope  tnat  attaclied  hun  to  the  car. 

"Get  up — go  ahead,  old  fellow!"  shouted  Joe,  with 


SEEINO   THE    ELEPHAHT.  135 

delight,  doing  his  best  to  urge  this  rather  novel  team. 
"  Here  is  a  new  style  of  travelling  I — no  more  horses  for 
me.     An  elephant,  if  you  please  !  " 

"  But  where  is  he  taking  us  to  ?  "  said  Kennedy,  whose 
rifle  itched  in  his  grasp. 

"  lie's  taking  us  exactly  to  where  we  want  to  go,  my 
dear  Dick.    A  little  patience ! " 

«  <  Wig-a-more  I  wig-a-more ! '  as  the  Scotch  country 
folks  say,"  shouted  Joe,  in  high  glee.  "  Gee-up !  gee-up 
there  1 " 

The  huge  animal  now  broke  into  a  very  rapid  gallop. 
lie  flung  his  trunk  from  side  to  side,  and  liis  monstrous 
bounds  gave  the  car  several  rather  heavy  thumps.  !Mean- 
while  the  doctor  stood  ready,  hatchet  ia  hand,  to  cut  the 
rope,  should  need  arise. 

"But,"  said  he,  "we  shall  not  give  up  our  anchor  until 
the  last  moment." 

This  drive,  with  an  elephant  for  the  team,  lasted  about 
an  hour  and  a  half;  yet  the  animal  did  not  seem  in  the 
least  fatigueth  These  immense  creatures  can  go  over  a 
great  deal  of  ground,  and,  from  one  day  to  another,  are 
found  at  enormous  distances  from  where  they  were  last 
seen,  like  the  Avhales,  whose  mass  and  ppeed  they  rival. 

"  In  fact,"  said  Joe,  "  it's  a  whale  that  we  have  har- 
pooned; and  we're  only  doing  just  what  whalemen  do 
when  out  fishing." 

But  a  change  in  the  nature  of  the  ground  compelled 
tlie  doctor  to  vary  his  style  of  locomotion.  A  dense  grove 
of  calmadores  was  descried  on  the  horizon,  about  three 
miles  away,  on  the  north  of  the  prairie.  So  it  became 
necessary  to  detach  the  balloon  from  its  draught-animal 
at  last. 

Kennedy  was  intrusted  with  the  job  of  bringing  the 
elephant  to  a  halt,  lie  drew  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  but 
Mb  position  was  not  favorable  to  a  euccessfu]  shot ;  so 


136  FIVE   WEEKS    m    A   BAJLLOOW. 

thai  the  first  ball  fired  flattened  itself  on  the  animare 
ekuil,  as  it  would  have  done  against  an  iron  plate.  Tlie 
creature  did  not  seem  in  the  least  troubled  by  it ;  but,  at 
the  sound  of  the  discharge,  he  had  increased  his  speed, 
and  now  was  going  as  fast  as  a  horse  at  full  gallop. 

"Tlie  deuce!"  ejaculated  Kennedy. 

"  What  a  solid  head ! "  commented  Joe. 

"We'll  try  some  conical  balls  behind  the  shoulder- 
joint,"  said  Kennedy,  reloading  his  rifle  with  care.  In 
another  moment  he  fired. 

The  animal  gave  a  terrible  cry,  but  went  on  faster  than 
ever. 

"  Come ! "  said  Joe,  taking  aim  with  another  gun,  "  1 
must  help  you,  or  we'll  never  end  it."  And  now  two  balls 
penetrated  the  creature's  side. 

The  elephant  halted,  lifted  his  trunk,  and  resumed  his 
run  toward  the  wood  with  all  his  speed ;  he  shook  his  huge 
head,  and  the  blood  began  to  gush  from  his  wounds. 

"  Let  us  keep  up  our  tire,  Mr.  Kennedy." 

"  And  a  continuous  fire,  too,"  urged  the  doctor,  "  for 
we  are  close  on  the  woods," 

Ten  shots  more  were  discharged.  The  elephant  made 
a  fearful  bound ;  the  car  and  balloon  cracked  as  though 
every  thing  were  going  to  pieces,  and  the  shock  made  the 
doctor  drop  his  hatchet  on  the  ground. 

The  situation  was  thus  rendered  really  very  alarming; 
the  anchor-rope,  which  had  securely  caught,  could  not  be 
disengaged,  nor  could  it  yet  be  cut  by  the  knives  of  our 
aeronauts,  and  the  balloon  was  rushing  headlong  toward 
the  wood,  when  the  animal  received  a  ball  in  the  eye  just 
as  he  lifted  his  head.  On  this  he  halted,  faltered,  his  knees 
bent  under  him,  and  he  uncovered  his  whole  flank  to  the 
assaults  of  his  enemies  in  the  balloon. 

"  A  builet  in  his  heart ! "  said  Kennedy,  discharging 
one  last  rifle-shot. 


THE   ELEPHAin    KILLED.  137 

The  elephant  uttered  a  long  bellow  of  terror  and  agony, 
then  raised  himself  up  for  a  moment,  twirling  his  trunk  in 
the  air,  and  finally  fell  with  all  his  weight  upon  one  of  his 
tusks,  which  he  broke  off  short.     He  was  dead. 

"  His  tusk's  broken ! "  exclaimed  Kennedy — "  ivory 
too  that  in  England  would  bring  thirty-five  guineas  per 
hundred  pounds." 

"  As  much  as  that  ?  "  said  Joe,  scrambling  down  to  the 
ground  by  the  anchor-rope. 

*'  What's  the  use  of  sighing  over  it,  Dick  ?  "  said  the 
doctor.  "  Are  we  ivory  merchants  ?  Did  we  come  hither 
to  make  money  ?  " 

Joe  examined  the  anchor  and  found  it  solidly  attached 
to  the  unbroken  tusk.  The  doctor  and  Dick  leaped  out  on 
the  ground,  while  the  balloon,  now  half  emptied,  hovered 
over  the  body  of  the  huge  animal. 

"  What  a  splendid  beast !  "  said  Kennedy,  "  what  a 
mass  of  flesh !  I  never  saw  an  elephant  of  that  size  in 
India ! " 

"There's  nothing  surprising  about  that,  my  dear  Dick; 
the  elephants  of  Central  Africa  are  the  finest  in  the  world. 
The  Andersons  and  the  Cummings  have  hunted  so  inces- 
santly in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Cape,  that  these  animals 
have  migrated  to  the  equator,  where  they  are  often  met 
with  in  large  herds." 

"  In  the  mean  while,  I  hope,"  added  Joe,  "  that  we'll 
taste  a  morsel  of  this  fellow.  I'll  undertake  to  get  you  a 
good  dinner  at  his  expense.  Mr.  Kennedy  will  go  off  and 
hunt  for  an  hour  or  two ;  the  doctor  will  make  an  inspec- 
tion of  the  balloon,  and,  while  they're  busy  in  that  way, 
I'll  do  the  cooking." 

"  A  good  arrangement  1 "  said  the  doctor ;  "  so  do  as 
you  like,  Joe." 

"As  for  mo,"  said  the  hunter,  "I  shall  avail  myself  of 
the  two  hours'  recess  that  Joe  has  condescended  to  let 
me  have." 


138  FIVB    WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

"  Go,  my  friend,  but  no  impnidence  1  Don^t  wandei 
too  far  away." 

*'  Never  fear,  doctor  I "  and,  so  saying,  Dick,  slioulden 
ing  his  gun,  plunged  into  the  woods. 

Forthwith  Joe  went  to  work  at  his  vocation.  At  first 
he  made  a  hole  in  the  ground  two  feet  deep ;  this  he  filled 
with  the  dry  wood  that  was  so  abundantly  scattered  about, 
where  it  had  been  stre\vn  by  the  elephants,  whose  tracks 
could  be  seen  where  they  had  made  their  way  through  ihe 
forest.  This  hole  filled,  he  heaped  a  pile  of  fagots  on  it 
a  foot  in  height,  and  set  fire  to  it. 

Then  he  went  back  to  the  carcass  of  the  elephant, 
which  had  fallen  only  about  a  hundred  feet  from  the  edge 
of  the  forest ;  he  next  proceeded  adroitly  to  cut  ofi"  the 
trunk,  which  might  have  been  two  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
base ;  of  this  he  selected  the  most  delicate  portion,  and 
then  took  with  it  one  of  the  animal's  spongy  feet..  In  fact, 
these  are  the  finest  morsels,  like  the  hump  of  the  bison,  the 
paws  of  the  bear,  and  the  head  of  the  wild  boar. 

When  the  pile  of  fagots  had  been  thoroughly  con- 
sumed, inside  and  outside,  the  hole,  cleared  of  the  cinders 
and  hot  coals,  retained  a  very  high  temperature.  The 
pieces  of  elephant-meat,  surrounded  with  aromatic  leaves, 
were  placed  in  this  extempore  oven  and  covered  with  hot 
coals.  Then  Joe  piled  up  a  second  heap  of  sticks  over  all, 
and  when  it  had  burned  out  the  meat  was  cooked  to  a  turn. 

Thf'.n  Joe  took  the  viands  from  the  oven,  spread  the 
savory  mess  upon  green  leaves,  and  arranged  his  dinner 
upon  a  magnificent  patch  of  greensward.  He  finally 
brought  out  some  biscuit,  some  cofiee,  and  some  cognac, 
and  got  a  can  of  pure,  fresh  water  fi'om  a  neighboring 
streamlet. 

The  repast  thus  prepared  was  a  pleasant  sight  to  be- 
hold, and  Joe,  without  being  too  proud,  thought  that  it 
would  also  be  pleasant  to  eat. 


EXAMINATION   OF   THE   BALLOON.  139 

"  A  journey  n-ithout  danger  or  fatigue,"  be  soliloquized ; 
'your  meals  when  you  please;  a  swinging  liamniock  al^ 
the  time !  What  more  could  a  man  ask?  And  there  was 
[vennedy,  who  didn't  want  to  come  I " 

On  his  part,  Dr.  Ferguson  was  engrossed  in  a  serious 
and  thorough  examination  of  the  balloon.  The  latter  did 
not  appear  to  have  suffered  from  the  storm;  the  silk  and 
the  gutta  percha  had  resisted  wonderfully,  and,  upon  esti- 
mating the  exact  beiglit  of  the  ground  and  the  ascensional 
force  of  the  balloon,  our  aeronaut  saw,  with  satisfaction, 
that  the  liydrogen  was  in  exactly  the  same  quantity  as 
before.  The  coTcring  had  remained  completely  water- 
proof. 

It  was  now  only  five  days  since  otir  travellers  had 
quitted  Zanzibar ;  their  pemmican  had  not  yet  been 
touched ;  their  stock  of  biscuit  and  potted  meat  was  enough 
for  a  long  trip,  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  replenished 
but  the  water. 

The  pipes  and  spiral  seemed  to  be  in  perfect  condition, 
since,  thanks  to  their  india-rubber  jointings,  they  had 
yielded  to  all  the  oscillations  of  the  balloon.  His  exami- 
nation ended,  the  doctor  betook  himself  to  setting  his 
notes  in  order.  lie  made  a  very  accurate  sketch  of  the 
surrounding  landscape,  with  its  long  prairie  stretching 
away  out  of  sight,  the  forest  of  cahnadores^  and  the  bal- 
loon resting  motionless  over  the  body  of  the  dead  ele- 
phant. 

At  the  end  of  his  two  hours,  Kennedy  returned  with  a 
string  of  fat  partridges  and  the  haunch  of  an  oryx^  a  sort 
of  ^ewwJo^  belonging  to  the  most  agile  species  of  ante- 
lopes. Joe  took  upon  himself  to  prepare  this  surplus  stock 
of  provisions  for  a  later  repast. 

"  But,  dinner's  ready  I "  he  shouted  in  his  most  musical 
voice. 

And  the  three  travellers  had  only  to  sit  down  oix  the 


140  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A    BALLOON. 

green  turf.  Tlie  trunk  and  feet  of  tlie  elephant  were  de- 
clared to  be  exquisite.  Old  England  was  toasted,  as  usual, 
and  delicious  llavanas  perfumed  this  charming  country 
for  the  first  time. 

Kennedy  ate,  drank,  and  chatted,  like  four ;  he  was 
perfectly  delighted  with  his  new  life,  and  seriously  pro- 
posed to  the  doctor  to  settle  in  this  forest,  to  con^struct  a 
cabin  of  boughs  and  foliage,  and,  there  and  then,  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  a  Robinson  Crusoe  dynasty  in  Africa. 

The  proposition  went  no  further,  although  Joe  had,  at 
once,  selected  the  part  of  Man  Friday  for  liimselt 

The  country  seemed  so  quiet,  so  deserted,  that  the 
doctor  resolved  to  pass  the  night  on  the  ground,  and  Joe 
arranged  a  circle  of  watch-fires  as  an  indispensable  barrier 
against  wild  animals,  for  tlie  hyenas,  cougars,  and  jackals, 
attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  dead  elephant,  were  prowling 
about  in  the  neighborhood.  Kennedy  had  to  fire  his  rifle 
several  times  at  these  unceremonious  visitors,  but  the 
night  passed  without  any  untoward  occurrence. 


CnAPTEPv  EIGHTEENTn. 

f^  Karaprwah.— Lake  Uk6r6on6.— A  Night  on  an  Island.— The  Eqnator.- 
Crosslns  the  Lake.— The  Cuscades.— A  View  of  the  Country. — The  Sonrcct 
of  the  Nile.— Tlie  Island  of  Benga.— The  Sij,Tiature  of  Andrea  Debono.— The 
Flag  with  the  Arms  of  England. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  preparations  for  de- 
parture commenced.  Joe,  wHth  the  hatchet  which  he  had 
fortunately  recovered,  broke  the  elephant's  tusks.  The 
balloon,  restored  to  liberty,  sped  away  to  the  northwest 
with  our  travellers,  at  the  rate  of  eighteen  miles  per  hour. 

The  doctor  had  carefully  taken  his  position  Dy  the  alti- 
tude of  the  stars,  during  the  preceding  nig  t  He  knew 
that  he  was  in  latitude  two  degrees  forty  miLJtes  below 
the  equator,  or  at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
geographical  miles.  He  swept  along  over  many  villages 
without  heeding  the  cries  that  the  appearance  of  the  bal- 
loon excited  ;  he  took  note  of  the  conformation  of  places 
with  quick  sights ;  he  passed  the  slopes  of  the  Rubemhe, 
which  are  nearly  as  abrupt  as  the  summits  of  the  Ousa- 
gara,  and,  farther  on,  at  Tenga,  encountered  the  first  pro- 
jections of  the  Karagwah  chains,  which,  ia  his  opinion, 
ire  direct  spurs  of  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon.  So,  the 
Ancient  legend  which  made  these  mountains  the  cradle  of 
che  Nile,  came  near  to  the  truth,  since  they  really  border 
upon  Lake  Uk6reou6,  the  conjectured  reservoir  of  the 
waters  of  the  great  river. 

From  Kafuro,  the  main  district  of  the  merchants  of 
that  country,  he  descried,  at  length,  on  the  horizon,  the 


142  FIVE  WEEKS    m   A  BALLOON. 

lake  so  much  desired  and  so  long  sought  for,  of  which 
Captain  Speke  caught  a  glimpse  on  the  3d  of  August, 
1853. 

Samuel  Ferguson  felt  real  emotion :  he  was  almost  in 
contact  vriih  one  of  the  principal  points  of  his  expedition, 
antl,  with  his  spy-glass  constantly  raised,  he  kept  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  mysterious  region  in  sight.  II in 
gaze  wandered  over  details  that  might  have  been  thus 
described : 

"  Beneath  him  extended  a  coimtry  generally  destitute 
of  cultivation;  only  here  and  there  some  ravines  seemed 
under  tillage ;  the  surface,  Jotted  with  peaks  of  medium 
height,  grew  flat  as  it  approached  the  lake ;  barley-fields 
took  the  place  of  rice-plantations,  and  there,  too,  could  be 
seen  growing  the  species  of  plantain  from  which  the  wine 
of  the  country  is  drawn,  and  m,wani,  the  wild  plant  which 
supplies  a  substitute  for  coffee.  A  collection  of  some  fifty 
or  more  eii'^^ular  huts,  covered  with  a  flowering  thatch, 
constitutt      he  capital  of  the  Karagwah  countiy." 

He  could  easily  distinguish  the  astonished  counte- 
nances of  a  rather  fine-looking  race  of  natives  of  yellowish- 
brown  complexion.  "Women  of  incredible  corpulence 
were  dawdling  about  through  the  cultivated  grounds,  and 
he  doctor  greatly  surprised  his  companions  by  informing 
•hem  that  this  rotundity,  which  is  highly  esteemed  in  that 
region,  was  obtained  by  an  obligatory  diet  of  curdled  milk. 

At  noon,  the  Victoria  was  in  one  degree  forty-five 
minutes  south  latitude,  and  at  one  o'clock  the  wind  was 
diiving  her  directly  toward  the  lake. 

This  sheet  of  water  was  christened  Uyanza  Yictoria, 
or  Victoria  Lake,  by  Captain  Speke,  At  the  place  now 
mentioned  it  might  measure  about  ninety  miles  in  breadth, 
and  at  its  southern  extremity  the  captain  found  a  group 
of  islets,  which  he  named  the  Archipelago  of  BengaL  He 
pushed  his  survey  as  far  as  Muanza,  on  the  eastern  coast 


A  DESEKT  ISLAim.  143 

where  he  vras  rcccirecl  by  the  stiltan.  ITe  made  a  trlarigu- 
lation  of  this  pnrt  of  llie  lake,  but  he  could  not  procure  a 
boat,  either  to  cross  it  or  to  visit  the  great  islarnl  of 
Ukureoue,  which  is  very  populous,  is  governed  by  tln-ee 
sultans,  and  appears  to  be  only  a  promontory  at  low  tide. 

The  balloon  approached  the  lake  more  to  the  north- 
ward, to  the  doctor's  great  regret,  for  it  had  been  his  wish 
to  determine  its  lower  outlines.  Its  shores  seemed  to  be 
thickly  set  with  brambles  and  thorny  ])lants,  growing  to- 
gether in  wild  confusion,  and  were  literally  hidden,  some- 
times, from  the  gaze,  by  myriads  of  mosquitoes  of  a  light- 
brown  hue.  The  country  was  evidently  liabitable  and  in- 
habited. Troops  of  hippopotami  could  be  seen  disporting 
themselves  in  the  forests  of  reeds,  or  plunging  beneath  the 
whitish  waters  of  the  lake. 

Tlie  latter,  seen  from  above,  presented,  toward  the 
west,  so  broad  an  horizon  that  it  might  have  been  called  a 
sea;  the  distance  between  the  two  shores  is  so  great  that 
communication  cannot  be  established,  and  storms  are  fre- 
quent and  violent,  for  the  winds  sweep  with  fury  over  this 
elevated  and  unsheltered  basin. 

The  doctor  experienced  some  difficulty  in  guiding  his 
course ;  he  was  afraid  of  being  carried  toward  the  east, 
but,  fortunately,  a  current  bore  him  directly  toward  the 
north,  and  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  balloon 
alighted  on  a  small  desert  island  in  thirty  minutes  south 
latitude,  and  thirty-two  degrees  fifty-two  minutes  east 
longitude,  about  twenty  miles  from  the  shore. 

The  travellers  succeeded  in  making  fast  to  a  tree,  and, 
the  %nnd  hav-ing  fallen  calm  toward  evening,  they  remained 
quietly  at  anclior.  They  dared  not  dream  of  taking  the 
ground,  since  here,  as  on  the  shores  of  the  Uyanza,  legions 
of  mosquitoes  covered  the  soil  in  dense  clouds.  Joe  even 
came  back,  from  securing  the  anchor  in  the  tree,  speckled 
with  bites,  but  he  kept  his  temper,  because  he  found  it 


IM  FIVE   -VTEEKS    m   A   BALLOOH. 

quite  the  natural  thing  for  mosquitoes  to  treat  him  as  Ihe-v 
had  done. 

Nevertheless,  the  doctor,  who  was  less  of  an  optimist, 
let  out  as  much  rope  as  he  could,  so  as  to  escape  these 
pitiless  insects,  that  began  to  rise  toward  hrim  vnlh  a  threat 
ening  hum. 

The  doctor  ascertained  the  height  of  tlie  lake  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  as  it  had  been  determined  by  Captain 
Speke,  say  thre\)  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

"  Here  we  are,  then,  on  an  island  ! "  said  Joe,  scratch- 
ins:  as  thousrh  he'd  tear  his  nails  out. 

"  We  could  make  the  tour  of  it  in  a  jiffy,"  added  Ken- 
nedy, "  and,  excepting  these  confounded  mosquitoes,  there's 
not  a  living  being  to  be  seen  on  it." 

"  The  islands  with  which  the  lake  is  dotted,"  replied 
the  doctor,  "  are  nothing,  after  all,  but  the  tops  of  sub- 
merged hills ;  but  we  are  lucky  to  have  foimd  a  retreat 
among  them,  for  the  shores  of  the  lake  are  inhabited  by 
ferocious  tribes.  Take  your  sleep,  then,  since  Providence 
has  granted  us  a  tranquil  night." 

"  Won't  you  do  the  same,  doctor  ?  " 

"No,  I  could  not  close  my  eyes.  My  thoughts  would 
banish  sleep.  To-morrow,  my  friends,  should  the  wind 
prove  favorable,  we  shall  go  due  north,  and  we  shall,  per- 
haps, discover  the  sources  of  tiie  Nile,  that  grand  secret 
which  has  so  long  remained  impenetrable.  Near  as  we 
are  to  the  sources  of  the  renowned  river,  I  could  not 
sleep." 

Kennedy  and  Joe,  whom  scientific  speculations  failed 
to  disturb  to  that  extent,  were  not  long  in  falling  into 
sound  slumber,  while  the  doctor  held  his  post. 

On  Wednesday,  April  23d,  the  balloon  started  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  with  a  grayish  sky  overhead ;  night 
was  slow  in  quitting  the  surface  of  the  lake,  which  was 
enveloped  in  a  dense  fog,  but  presently  a  violent  breez* 


CEOSSING   THE   EQUATOR.  145 

scattered  all  the  mists,  and,  after  the  balloon  Lad  been 
swung  to  and  fro  for  a  moment,  in  opposite  directions,  it 
at  length  veered  in  a  straight  line  toward  the  north. 

Dr.  Ferguson  fairly  clapped  his  hands  for  joy. 

"  We  are  on  the  right  track ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  To-day 
or  never  -we  shall  see  the  Nile !  Look,  my  friends,  we  are 
crossing  the  cq^uator !  We  are  entering  our  own  hemi- 
sphere ! " 

"  Ah ! "  said  Joe,  "  do  you  think,  doctor,  that  the  equa- 
tor passes  here  ?  " 

"  Just  here,  my  boy  1 " 

"  Well,  then,  with  all  respect  to  you,  sir,  it  seems  to 
me  that  this  is  the  very  time  to  moisten  it." 

"  Good !  "  said  the  doctor,  laughing.  "  Let  us  have  a 
glass  of  punch.  You  have  a  way  of  comprehending  cos- 
mography that  is  any  thing  but  dull." 

And  thus  was  the  passage  of  the  Victoria  over  the 
equator  duly  celebrated. 

The  balloon  made  rapid  headway.  In  the  west  could 
be  seen  a  low  and  but  slightly-diversified  coast,  and,  far- 
ther away  in  the  backgroimd,  the  elevated  plains  of  the 
Uganda  and  the  Usoga.  At  length,  the  rapidity  of  the 
wind  became  excessive,  approaching  thirty  miles  per 
hour. 

The  waters  of  the  Nyanza,  violently  agitated,  were 
foaming  like  the  billows  of  a  sea.  By  the  appearance  of 
certain  long  swells  that  followed  the  sinking  of  the  waves, 
the  doctor  was  enabled  to  conclude  that  the  lake  must 
have  great  depth  of  water.  Only  one  or  two  rude  boats 
were  seen  during  this  rajiid  passage. 

"Tliis  lake  is  evidently,  from  its  elevated  position, 
the  natural  reservoir  of  the  rivers  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Africa,  and  the  sky  gives  back  to  it  in  rain  what  it  takes 
in  vapor  from  the  streams  that  flow  out  of  it.  I  am  ceX' 
tain  that  the  Xil&  must  here  take  its  rise.'* 


146  «it2  weyks  in  a  balloon. 

"■Well,  -n-e  shall  sec  !"  said  Kennedy. 

About  nine  o'clock  tlicy  drew  nearer  to  the  western 
coast.  It  pccnicd  deserted,  ami  covered  with  woods;  the 
wind  frcsliened  a  little  toward  the  east,  and  the  other 
shore  of  the  lake  could  be  seen.  It  bent  around  in  such  a 
curve  as  to  end  in  a  wide  angle  toward  two  degrees  forty 
minutes  north  latitude.  Lofty  mountains  uplifted  their 
arid  peaks  at  this  extremity  of  Xyanza;  but,  between 
them,  a  deep  and  winding  gorge  gave  exit  to  a  turbulent 
and  foaming  river. 

"While  busy  managing  the  balloon,  Dr.  Ferguson  never 
ceased  reconnoitring  the  country  with  eager  eyes. 

"  Look  1 "  he  exclaimed,  "  look,  my  friends  !  the  state- 
ments of  the  Arabs  Avcre  correct !  They  spoke  of  a  liver 
by  which  Lake  LTkereoue  discharged  its  waters  toward 
the  north,  and  this  river  exists,  and  we  are  descending  it, 
and  it  flows  with  a  speed  analogous  to  our  own !  And 
this  drop  of  water  now  gliding  away  beneath  our  feet  is, 
beyond  all  question,  rushing  on,  to  mingle  with  the  Medi- 
terranean !     It  is  the  Kile ! " 

"  It  is  the  Nile ! "  reechoed  Kennedy,  carried  away  by 
the  enthusiasm  of  his  friend. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  Nile ! "  shouted  Joe,  glad,  and  always 
ready  to  cheer  for  something. 

Enormous  rocks,  here  and  there,  embarrafsed  the 
course  of  this  mysterious  river.  The  water  foamed  as  "i 
fell  in  rapids  and  cataracts,  which  confirmed  the  doctoj 
in  his  preconceived  ideas  on  the  subject.  From  the  en- 
vironing mountains  numerous  torrents  came  plunging  and 
seething  down,  and  the  eye  could  take  them  in  by  hun- 
dreds. There  could  be  seen,  starting  from  the  soil,  deli- 
cate jets  of  water  scattering  in  all  directions,  crossing  and 
recrossing  each  other,  mingling,  cohtending  in  the  swift- 
ness of  their  progress,  and  all  rushing  toward  that  nascent 
stream  which  became  a  river  after  having  drunk  them  in. 


THE    SOtlECE   OF   THE   IflLE.  147 

"  Here  is,  indeed,  the  Nile  ! "  reiterated  the  doctor,  vrith 
the  tone  of  profound  conviction.  "  Tlie  origin  of  its  name 
like  the  origin  of  its  waters,  has  fired  the  imagination  of 
the  learned ;  they  have  sought  to  trace  it  from  the 
Greek,  the  Coptic,  the  Sanscrit ;  but  all  that  matters  little 
now,  since  we  have  made  it  surrender  the  secret  of  its 
source ! " 

"But,"  said  the  Scotchman,  "how  are  you  to  make 
sure  of  the  identity  of  this  river  with  the  one  recognized 
by  the  travellers  from  the  north?" 

"  We  shall  have  certain,  irrefutable,  convincing,  and 
infallible  proof,"  replied  Ferguson,  "  should  the  wind  hold 
another  hour  in  our  favor !  " 

The  mountains  drew  farther  apart,  revealing  in  their 
place  numerous  villages,  and  fields  of  white  Indian  corn, 
doura,  and  sugar-cane.  The  tribes  inhabiting  the  region 
seemed  excited  and  hostile  ;  they  manifested  more  anger 
than  adoration,  and  evidently  saw  in  the  aeronauts  only 
obtrusive  strangers,  and  not  condesccndincr  deities.  It 
appeared  as  though,  in  approaching  the  sources  of  the 
Kile,  these  men  came  to  rob  them  of  something,  and  so 
the  Victoria  had  to  keep  out  of  range  of  their  muskets. 

"  To  land  here  would  be  a  ticklish  matter  I "  said  the 
Scot. 

"TVell!"  said  Joe,  "so  much  the  worse  for  these 
natives.  They'll  have  to  do  without  the  pleasure  of  our 
conversation." 

"  Nevertheless,  descend  I  must,"  said  the  doctor, 
"  were  it  for  only  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Without  doing 
so  I  cannot  verify  tlie  results  of  our  expedition." 

"  It  is  indispensable,  then,  doctor  ?  " 

"Indispensable;  and  we  will  descend,  even  if  we  have 
to  do  so  with  a  voUoy  of  musketry." 

"  The  thing  suits  me,"  said  Kennedy,  toying  with  hig 
pet  rifle. 

N» 


148  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

"  And  Vm  ready,  master,  whenever  you  say  the  word  I " 
added  Joe,  preparing  for  the  fight. 

"  It  would  not  be  the  first  time,"  remarked  the  doctor, 
"  that  science  has  been  followed  up,  sword  in  hand.  The 
samo  thing  happened  to  a  French  savant  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Spain,  when  he  was  measuring  the  terrestrial  me- 
ridian." 

"  Be  easy  on  that  score,  doctor,  and  trust  to  your  two 
body-guards." 

"Are  we  there,  master?" 

"  Kot  yet.  In  fact,  I  shall  go  up  a  little,  first,  in  order 
to  get  an  exact  idea  of  the  configuration  of  the  coun- 
try." 

The  hydrogen  expanded,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes 
the  balloon  was  soaring  at  a  height  of  twenty-five  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  ground. 

From  that  elevation  could  be  distinguished  an  inex- 
tricable network  of  smaller  streams  which  the  river  re- 
ceived into  its  bosom ;  others  came  from  the  west,  from 
between  numerous  hills,  in  tie  midst  of  fertile  plains. 

"  We  are  not  ninety  miles  from  Gondokoro,"  said  the 
doctor,  measuring  oflf  the  distance  on  his  map,  "  and  less 
than  five  miles  from  the  point  reached  by  the  explorers 
from  the  north.     Let  us  descend  with  great  care." 

And,  upon  this,  the  balloon  was  lowered  about  two 
thousand  feet. 

"  Now,  my  friends,  let  us  be  ready,  come  what  may." 

"  Ready  it  is ! "  said  Dick  and  Joe,  with  one  voice. 

"  Good ! " 

In  a  few  moments  the  balloon  was  advancing  along 
the  bed  of  the  river,  and  scarcely  one  hundred  feet  above 
the  ground.  The  Nile  measured  but  fifty  fathoms  in 
width  at  this  point,  and  the  natives  were  in  great  excite- 
ment, rushing  to  and  fro,  tumultuously,  in  the  villages 
that  lined  the  banks  of  the  stream.     At  the  second  degree 


BENGAL   ISLAND.  149 

It  forms  a  perpendicular  cascade  of  ten  feet  iii  height,  and 
consequently  Impassable  by  boats. 

"  Here,  then,  is  the  cascade  mentioned  by  Debono ! " 
exclaimed  the  doctor. 

The  basin  of  the  river  spread  out,  dotted  with  numer- 
ous islands,  which  Dr.  Ferguson  devoured  with  his  eyes. 
lie  seemed  to  be  S'33ldng  for  a  point  of  reference  which  he 
had  not  yet  found. 

By  this  time,  some  blacks,  having  ventured  in  a  boat 
just  under  the  balloon,  Kennedy  saluted  them  with  a  shot 
from  his  rifle,  that  made  them  regain  the  bank  at  their 
utmost  speed. 

"  A  good  journey  to  you,"  bawled  Joe,  "  and  if  I  were 
m  your  place,  I  wouldn't  try  coming  back  again.  I  should 
be  mightily  afraid  of  a  monster  that  can  hurl  thunder- 
bolts when  he  pleases." 

But,  all  at  once,  the  doctor  snatched  up  his  spy-glass^ 
and  directed  it  toward  an  island  reposing  in  the  middle 
of  the  river. 

"  Four  trees  I "  he  exclaimed ;  "  look,  down  there ! " 
Sure  enough,  there  were  four  trees  standing  alone  at  one 
end  of  it. 

"  It  is  Bengal  Island  I  It  is  the  very  same,"  repeated 
the  doctor,  exultingly. 

"  And  what  of  that  ?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  It  is  there  that  we  shall  alight,  if  God  permits." 

"  But,  it  seems  to  be  inhabited,  doctor." 

"Joe  is  right;  and,  unless  I'm  mistaken,  there  is  a 
group  of  about  a  score  of  natives  on  it  now." 

"  We'll  make  them  scatter;  there'll  be  no  great  trouble 
in  that,"  responded  Ferguson. 

"  So  be  it,"  chimed  in  the  hunter. 

The  sun  was  at  the  zenith  as  the  balloon  approached 
the  island. 

The  blacks,  who  were  racmbors  of  the  Makado  tnb^ 


160  FIVE  WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

were  howling  lustily,  and  one  of  them  waved  his  bark  hat 
in  the  air.  Kennedy  took  aim  at  him,  fired,  and  his  hat 
flew  about  him  in  pieces.  Thereupon  there  was  a  general 
scamper.  The  natives  plunged  headlong  into  the  river, 
and  swam  to  the  opposite  bank.  Immediately,  there 
came  a  shower  of  balls  from  both  banks,  along  with  a  per 
feet  cloud  of  arrows,  but  without  doing  the  balloon  any 
damage,  where  it  rested  with  its  anchor  snugly  secured  in 
the  fissure  of  a  rock.  Joe  lost  no  time  in  sliding  to  the 
ground. 

"  The  ladder  I "  cried  the  doctor.  "  FoUow  me,  Ken- 
nedy." 

"  What  do  you  wish,  sir  ?  " 

"  Let  us  alight.     I  want  a  witness." 

"Here  I  am!" 

"  JMind  your  post,  Joe,  and  keep  a  good  lookout." 

"Never  fear,  doctor;  I'll  answer  for  all  that." 

"Come,  Dick,"  said  the  doctor,  as  lie  touched  the 
ground. 

So  saying,  he  drew  his  companion  along  toward  a 
group  of  rocks  that  rose  upon  one  point  of  the  island; 
there,  aflcr  searching  for  some  time,  he  began  to  rummage 
among  the  brambles,  and,  in  so  doing,  scratched  his  hands 
ttntil  they  bled. 

Suddenly  ho  grasped  Kennedy's  arm,  exclaiming: 
"Look!  look!" 

"  Letters  1 " 

Tes;  there,  indeed,  could  be  descried,  with  perfect 
precision  of  outline,  some  letters  carved  on  the  rock.  It 
was  quite  easy  to  make  them  out : 

"A.  D." 

"A.  D. ! "  repeated  Dr.  Ferguson.  "  Andrea  Debono— 
the  very  signature  of  the  traveller  who  farthest  ascended 
the  current  of  the  Nile." 


The  balloon,  entirely  inflated  by  the  rarefaction  of  the  temperature,  takes  flight, 
touching  the  branches  as  It  passes. 


"  NOW    FOE  THE  BALLOON."  151 

*  No  doubt  of  that,  friend  Samuel,"  assented  Kennedy. 

"  Are  you  now  convinced  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  Nile !  We  cannot  entertain  a  doubt  on  that 
score  now,"  was  the  reply. 

The  doctor,  for  the  last  time,  examined  those  precious 
initials,  the  exact  form  and  size  of  which  he  carefully 
noted. 

"  And  now,"  said  he — "  now  for  the  balloon  1 " 

"  Quickly,  then,  for  I  see  some  of  the  natives  getting 
ready  to  recross  the  river." 

"That  matters  little  to  us  now.  Let  the  wind  but 
send  us  northward  for  a  few  hours,  and  we  shall  reach 
Gondokoro,  and  press  the  hands  of  some  of  our  country- 
men." 

Ten  minutes  more,  and  the  balloon  was  mnjestically 
ascending,  wliile  Dr.  Ferguson,  in  token  of  success,  waved 
the  Eaalish  flag  triumphantly  from  his  car 


CHAPTER    NmETEENlTL 

fhe  Nile.— Tbe  Trembling  Mountain.— A  Remembrance  of  the  Country.— Th« 
Narrative?  of  the  Arabs. — The  Nyam-Nyams. — Joe's  Shrewd  Co^ritations. — 
The  BaUoou  runs  the  Gantlet. — Aerostatic  Aflceneions. — Madame  Blanchard. 

"Which  way  do  we  head?"  asked  Kennedy,  as  he 
saw  his  friend  consulting  the  compass. 

"North-northeast." 

"  The  deuce  !  but  tliat's  not  the  north  ?  " 

"No,  Dick;  and  I'm  afraid  that  we  shall  have  some 
trouble  in  getting  to  Gondokoro.  I  am  sorry  for  it ;  but, 
at  last,  we  have  succeeded  in  connecting  the  explorations 
from  the  east  with  those  from  the  north;  and  we  must 
QOt  complain." 

The  balloon  was  now  receding  gradually  from  the  Nile. 

"  One  last  look,"  said  the  doctor,  "  at  this  impassable 
latitude,  beyond  which  the  most  intrepid  travellers  could 
aot  make  their  way.  There  are  those  intractable  tribes, 
of  whom  Petherick,  Amaud,  Miuni,  and  the  young  travel- 
ler Lejean,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  best  work 
on  the  Upper  Nile,  have  spoken," 

"  Thus,  then,"  added  Kennedy,  inquiringly,  "  our  dis 
coveries  agree  with  the  speculations  of  science." 

"  Absolutely  so.  The  sources  of  the  AA^hite  Nile,  of 
the  Bahr-el-Abiad,  are  immersed  in  a  lake  as  large  as  a 
sea ;  it  is  there  that  it  takes  its  rise.  Poesy,  undoubtedly, 
loses  something  thereby.  People  were  fond  of  ascribing 
a  celestial  origin  to  this  king  of  rivers.  The  ancients  gave 
»t  the  name  of  an  ocean,  and  were  not  far  from  belie  vu«j 


"  OirWAED,   THEN."  153 

that  it  flo-wed  directly  from  the  sun ;  but  we  must  come 
down  from  these  flights  from  time  to  time,  and  accept 
what  science  teaches  us.  There  will  not  always  be  scien- 
tltic  men,  perhaps  ;  but  there  always  will  be  poets." 

"  We  can  still  see  cataracts,"  said  Joe. 

"  Those  are  tlie  cataracts  of  Makedo,  in  the  third  degree 
of  latitude.  Notliing  could  be  more  accurate.  Oh,  if  we  could 
only  have  followed  the  course  of  the  Nile  for  a  few  hours ! " 

"  And  do^m  yonder,  below  us,  I  see  the  top  of  a  moun- 
tain," said  the  hunter. 

"That  is  ]\Iount  Longwek,  the  Tremhllng Mountain  ol 
the  Arabs.  This  whole  country  was  visited  by  Debono, 
who  went  through  it  under  the  name  of  Latif-Eftendi. 
The  tribes  living  near  the  Nile  are  hostile  to  each  other, 
and  are  continually  waging  a  war  of  extermination.  You 
may  form  some  idea,  then,  of  the  difliculties  he  had  to 
encounter." 

The  wind  was  carrying  the  balloon  toward  the  north- 
west, and,  in  order  to  avoid  Moimt  Longwek,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  seek  a  more  slanting  current. 

"  My  friends,"  said  the  doctor,  "  here  is  where  our  pas- 
sage of  the  African  Continent  really  commences ;  up  to 
this  time  we  have  been  following  the  traces  of  our  pred- 
ecessors. Henceforth  we  are  to  launch  ourselves  upon 
the  unknown.    We  shall  not  lack  the  courage,  shall  we  ?" 

"  Never ! "  said  Dick  and  Joe  together,  almost  in  a 
shout. 

"  Onward,  then,  and  may  we  have  the  help  of  Heaven ! " 

At  ten  o'clock  at  night,  after  passing  over  ravines, 
forests,  and  scattered  villages,  the  aeronauts  reached  the 
side  of  the  Trembling  Mountain,  along  whose  gentle  slopes 
they  went  quietly  gliding.  In  that  memorable  day,  the 
23d  of  April,  they  had,  in  fifteen  hours,  impelled  by  a 
rapid  breeze,  traversed  a  distance  of  more  than  three  bun 
dred  and  fifteen  miles. 


164(  FIVB  WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

But  this  latter  part  of  the  journey  had  left  them  in 
dull  spirits,  and  complete  silence  reigned  in  the  car.  Waa 
Dr.  Ferguson  absorbed  in  the  thought  of  his  discoveries? 
Were  his  two  companions  thinking  of  their  trip  through 
those  unknown!  regions  ?  There  were,  no  doubt,  mingled 
with  these  reflections,  the  keenest  reminiscences  of  home 
and  distant  friends.  Joe  alone  continued  to  manifest  the 
same  careless  philosophy,  finding  it  quite  natural  that 
home  should  not  be  there,  from  the  moment  that  he  left 
it;  but  he  respected  the  silent  mood  of  his  friends,  the 
doctor  and  Kennedy. 

About  ten  the  balloon  anchored  on  the  side  of  the 
Trembling  Mountain,  so  called,  because,  in  Arab  tradition, 
it  is  said  to  tremble  the  instant  that  a  Mussulman  sets 
foot  upon  it.  The  travellers  then  partook  of  a  substantial 
meal,  and  all  quietly  passed  the  night  as  usual,  keeping 
the  regular  watches. 

On  awaking  the  next  morning,  they  all  had  pleasanter 
feelings.  The  weather  was  fine,  and  the  wind  was  blow- 
ing from  the  right  quarter;  so  that  a  good  brealcfast, 
eeasoned  with  Joe's  merry  pranks,  put  them  in  high  good- 
humor. 

The  region  they  were  now  crossing  is  very  extensive. 
It  borders  on  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  on  one  side, 
and  those  of  Dai-four  on  the  other — a  space  about  as 
broad  as  Europe. 

"  We  are,  no  doubt,  crossing  what  is  supposed  to  be 
the  kingdom  of  Usoga.  Geographers  have  pretended  that 
there  existed,  in  the  centre  of  Africa,  a  vast  depression, 
an  immense  central  lake.  We  shall  see  whether  there  is 
any  truth  in  that  idea,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  l)Ut  how  c'.id  they  come  to  think  so  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

•'  From  tlie  recitals  of  the  Arabs.  Those  fellows  aro 
great  narrators — too  much  so,  probably.  Some  travellers, 
who  had  got  as  far  as  Kazeh,  or  the  great  lakes,  sa\« 


"  HTAM-NIAM,"  155 

slaves  that  had  been  brought  from  this  region ;  interro- 
jrated  them  concerning  it,  and,  from  their  different  narra- 
tives, made  up  a  jumble  of  notions,  and  deduced  systems 
from  tliem.  Down  at  the  bottom  of  it  all  tliere  is  some 
appearance  of  truth ;  and  you  see  that  they  were  right 
about  the  sources  of  the  Nile." 

*'  Nothing  could  be  more  correct,"  said  Kennedy.  "  It 
w^as  by  the  aid  of  these  documents  that  some  attempts  at 
maps  were  made,  and  so  I  am  going  to  try  to  follow  our 
route  by  one  of  them,  rectifying  it  when  need  be." 

"  Is  all  this  region  inhabited  ?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  Undoubtedly ;  and  disagreeably  inhabited,  too." 

"  I  thought  so." 

"These  scattered  tribes  come,  one  and  all,  under  tHe 
title  of  Nyam-Nyams,  and  this  compound  word  is  only  a 
sort  of  nickname.     It  imitates  the  sound  of  chewing." 

"  That's  it !  Excellent !  "said  Joe,  champing  his  teeth 
as  though  lie  were  eating;  "Nyam-Nyam." 

"My  good  Joe,  if  you  were  the  immediate  object  of 
this  cliewiug,  you  wouldn't  find  it  so  excellent." 

"  Why,  what's  the  reason,  sir  ?  " 

"  These  tribes  are  considered  man-eaters  ?  " 

"Is  that  really  the  case?" 

"  Not  a  doubt  of  it !  It  has  also  been  asserted  that 
these  natives  had  tails,  like  mere  quadrupeds ;  but  it  waa 
soon  discovered  that  these  appendages  belonged  to  the 
skins  of  animals  that  they  wore  for  clothing." 

"  More's  the  pity !  a  tail's  a  nice  thing  to  chase  away 
mosquitoes." 

"  That  may  be,  Joe ;  but  we  must  consign  the  story  to 
the  domain  of  fable,  like  the  dogs'  heads  which  the  travel- 
ler, Brun-RoUet,  attributed  to  other  tribes." 

"  Dogs'  heads,  eh  ?  Quite  convenient  for  barking,  and 
even  for  man-eating ! " 

"  But  one  thing  that  has  been,  unfortnjiately,  proven 


156  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A    BALLOON. 

true,  is,  the  ferocity  of  these  tribes,  who  are  really  very 
fond  of  human  flesh,  and  devour  it  with  avidity." 

"I  only  hope  that  they  won't  take  such  a  particular 
fancy  to  mine !  "  said  Joe,  with  comic  solemnity. 

"  See  that ! "  said  Kennedy. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  sir ;  if  I  have  to  be  eaten,  in  a  moment 
of  famine,  I  want  it  to  be  for  your  benefit  and  my  mas- 
ter's ;  but  the  idea  of  feeding  those  black  fellows — gra- 
cious !  I'd  die  of  shame  ! " 

"  Well,  then,  Joe,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that's  understood ; 
we  count  upon  you  in  case  of  need  i  " 

"  At  your  service,  gentlemen  ! " 

"  Joe  talks  in  this  way  so  as  to  make  us  take  good  care 
of  him,  and  fatten  him  up." 

"  Maybe  so  !  "  said  Joe.     "  Every  man  for  himself." 

In  the  afternoon,  the  sky  became  covered  with  a  warm 
mist,  that  oozed  from  the  soil ;  the  brownish  vapor  scarcely 
allowed  the  beholder  to  distinguish  objects,  and  so,  fearing 
collision  with  some  unexpected  mountain-peak,  the  doctor, 
about  five  o'clock,  gave  the  signal  to  halt. 

The  night  passed  without  accident,  but  in  such  pro- 
found obscurity,  that  it  was  necessary  to  use  redoubled 
vigilance. 

The  monsoon  blew  with  extreme  violence  during  all 
the  next  morning.  The  wind  buried  itself  in  the  lower 
cavities  of  the  balloon  and  shook  the  appendage  by  which 
the  dilating-pipes  entered  the  main  apparatus.  They  had, 
at  last,  to  be  tied  up  with  cords,  Joe  acquitting  himself 
very  skilfully  in  performing  that  operation. 

He  had  occasion  to  observe,  at  the  same  time,  that  the 
orifice  of  the  balloon  still  remained  hermetically  sealed. 

"  Tliat  is  a  matter  of  double  importance  for  us,"  said 
the  doctor ;  "  in  the  first  place,  we  avoid  the  escape  of 
precious  gas,  and  then,  again,  we  do  not  leave  behind  us 


MADAAT-R   BLANCHARD's    ACCmENT.  157 

an  inflammable  train,  which  we  should  at  last  inevitably 
set  fire  to,  and  so  he  consumed." 

"  That  would  he  a  disagreeable  travelling  Incident ! " 
said  Joe. 

"  Should  we  he  hurled  to  the  ground  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Hurled  !  No,  not  quite  that.  The  gas  would  burn 
quietl),  and  we  should  descend  little  by  little.  A  similar 
accident  happened  to  a  French  aeronaut,  Madame  Blanch- 
ird.  She  ignited  her  balloon  while  sending  off  fireworks, 
but  she  did  not  fall,  and  she  would  not  have  been  killed, 
probably,  had  not  her  car  dashed  against  a  chimney  and 
precipitated  her  to  the  ground." 

"  Let  us  hope  that  nothing  of  the  kind  may  happen  to 
us,"  said  the  hunter.  "  Up  to  this  time  our  trip  has  not 
Beemed  to  me  very  dangerous,  and  I  can  see  nothing  to 
prevent  lis  reaching  our  destination." 

"  Nor  can  I  either,  my  dear  Dick ;  accidents  are  gen- 
erally caused  by  the  imprudence  of  the  aeronauts,  or  the 
defective  construction  of  their  apparatus.  However,  in 
thousands  of  aerial  ascensions,  there  have  not  been  twenty 
fatal  accidents.  Usually,  the  danger  is  in  the  moment  of 
leaving  the  ground,  or  of  aligliting,  and  therefore  at  those 
jmictures  v:e  sliould  never  omit  the  utmost  precaution." 

"  It's  breakfast-time,"  said  Joe ;  "  we'll  have  to  put  up 
with  preserved  meat  and  coflfee  until  Mr.  Kennedy  lias  had 
mother  chance  to  get  ua  a  good  slice  of  venison." 


CHAPTER  TWEXTIETn. 

rhe  Celestial  Bottle.— Tlie  Fisj-Palms.— The  Mammoth  Trees.— The  Tree  of  Wa; 
—The  Winjced  Team.— Two  Native  Tribes  In  Battle.— A  MaBsacre.— Aji  Id 
terrention  from  above. 

The  -wind  had  become  violent  and  irregular ;  the  bal- 
loon was  running  the  gantlet  through  the  air.  Tossed 
at  one  moment  toward  the  north,  at  another  toward  the 
south,  it  could  not  find  one  steady  current. 

""We  are  moving  very  swiftly  without  advancing 
much,"  said  Kennedy,  remarking  the  frequent  oscillations 
of  the  needle  of  the  compass. 

"  The  balloon  is  rushing  at  the  rate  of  at  least  thirty 
miles  an  hour.  Lean  over,  and  see  how  the  country  is 
gliding  away  beneath  us  ! "  said  the  doctor. 

"  See !  that  forest  looks  as  though  it  were  precipitating 
itself  upon  us ! " 

"  The  forest  has  become  a  clearing ! "  added  the  other. 

"  And  the  clearing  a  village  1 "  continued  Joe,  a  mo- 
ment or  two  later.  "  Look  at  the  faces  of  those  aston- 
ished darkeys  I " 

"  Oh !  it's  natural  enough  that  they  should  be  aston- 
ished," said  the  doctor.  "  The  French  peasants,  when  they 
first  saw  a  balloon,  fired  at  it,  thinking  that  it  was  an  aerial 
monster.  A  Soudan  negro  may  be  excused,  then,  for  open- 
ing his  eyes  very  wide ! " 

"Faith!"  said  Joe,  as  the  Victoria  skimmed  closely 
along  the  ground,  at  scarcely  the  elevation  of  one  hundred 
feet,  and  immediately  over  a  village,  "  I'll  throw  thp-m 


JOB   FLINGS    A   BOTTLE   TO   THE    NATIVE8.  159 

&n  empty  bottle,  with  yoiir  leave,  doctor,  and  if  it  reaches 
them  safe  and  sound,  they'll  worship  it ;  if  it  breaks,  they'll 
make  talismans  of  the  pieces." 

So  saying,  he  flung  out  a  bottle,  which,  of  course,  was 
broken  into  a  thousand  fragments,  while  the  negroes 
scampered  into  theii-  round  huts,  uttering  shrill  cries. 

A  little  farther  on,  Kennedy  called  out :  "  Look  at  that 
strange  tree!  The  upper  part  is  of  one  kind  and  the 
lower  part  of  another ! " 

"  "Well ! "  said  Joe,  "  here's  a  country  where  the  trees 
grow  on  top  of  each  other." 

"  Its  simply  the  trunk  of  a  fig-tree,"  replied  the  doctor, 
•'  on  which  there  is  a  little  vegetating  earth.  Some  fine 
day,  the  wind  left  the  seed  of  a  palm  on  it,  and  the 
seed  has  taken  root  and  grown  as  though  it  were  on  the 
plain  ground." 

"  A  fine  new  style  of  gardening,"  said  Joe,  "  and  I'll 
import  the  idea  to  England.  It  would  be  just  the  thing 
in  the  London  parks ;  without  counting  that  it  would  be 
another  way  to  increase  the  number  of  fruit-trees.  We 
30uld  have  gardens  up  in  the  air ;  and  the  small  house- 
owners  would  like  that ! " 

At  this  moment,  they  had  to  raise  the  balloon  so  as  to 
pass  over  a  forest  of  trees  that  were  more  than  three  hun- 
dred feet  in  height — a  kiad  qf  ancient  banyan. 

"  What  magnificent  trees  1 "  exclaimed  Kennedy.  "  I 
wever  saw  any  thing  so  fine  as  the  appearance  of  these 
\enerabl6  forests.     Look,  doctor  I " 

"  The  height  of  these  banyans  is  really  remarkable, 
>flj  dear  I)ick ;  and  yet,  they  would  be  nothing  astonish- 
ing in  the  Me^  World." 

"Why,  are  there  still  loftier  trees  m  existence ?" 

" Undoubt*^diy ;  among  the  'mammoth  trees'  of  Cali- 
iomia,  there  is  a  ^jedar  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in 
height.  It  would  overtop  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and 
0* 


160  FIVE  WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

even  the  Great  Pyramid  of  Egypt.  The  trunk  at  the 
surface  of  the  ground  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in 
circumference,  and  the  concentric  layers  of  the  wood  dis- 
closed an  age  of  more  than  four  thousand  years." 

"  But  then,  sir,  there  was  nothing  wonderful  in  it  I 
When  one  has  lived  four  thousand  years,  one  ought  to  be 
pretty  tall ! "  was  Joe's  remark. 

Meanwhile,  during  the  doctor's  recital  and  Joe's  re^ 
sponse,  the  forest  had  given  place  to  a  large  collection  of 
huts  surrounding  an  open  space.  In  the  middle  of  this 
grew  a  solitary  tree,  and  Joe  exclaimed,  as  he  caught 
sight  of  it : 

"  Well !  if  that  tree  has  produced  such  flowers  as 
those,  for  the  last  four  thousand  years,  I  have  to  offer 
it  my  compliments,  anyhow,"  and  he  pointed  to  a  gigantic 
sycamore,  whose  whole  trunk  was  covered  with  human 
bones.  The  flowers  of  which  Joe  spoke  were  heads  freshly 
severed  from  the  bodies,  and  suspended  by  daggers  thrust 
into  the  bark  of  the  tree. 

"  The  war-tree  of  these  cannibals ! "  said  the  doctor ; 
"  the  Indians  merely  carry  off  the  scalp,  but  these  negroes 
take  the  whole  head." 

"  A  mere  matter  of  fashion  ! "  said  Joe.  But,  already, 
the  village  and  the  bleeding  heads  were  disappearing  on 
the  horizon.  Another  place  offered  a  still  more  revolting 
spectacle — half-devoured  corpses;  skeletons  mouldering 
to  dust;  human  limbs  scattered  here  and  there,  and  left 
to  feed  the  jackals  and  hyenas. 

"  No  doubt,  these  are  the  bodies  of  criminals ;  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  in  Abyssinia,  these  people  have  left 
them  a  prey  to  the  wild  beasts,  who  kill  them  with  their 
terrible  teeth  and  claws,  and  then  devour  them  at  theii 
leisure." 

"Not  a  whit  more  cruel  than  hanging  I"  said  the 
Scot ;  "  filthier,  that's  all  1 " 


JOB  PKOP08E8  A  TEAM  OF  EAGLES        161 

"  In  the  southern  regions  of  Africa,  they  content  them- 
ielves,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  \vdth  shutting  up  the  crimi- 
nal in  his  own  hut  with  his  cattle,  and  sometimes  with  his 
family.  They  then  set  fire  to  the  hut,  and  the  whole 
party  are  burned  together.  I  call  that  cruel ;  but,  like 
friend  Kennedy,  I  think  that  the  gallows  is  quite  as  cruel, 
quite  as  barbarous." 

Joe,  by  the  aid  of  his  keen  sight,  which  he  did  not  faD 
to  use  continually,  noticed  some  flocks  of  birds  of  prey 
liii  ting  about  the  horizon. 

"  They  are  eagles ! "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  after  recon- 
noitring them  through  the  glass,  "  magnificent  birds, 
whose  flight  is  as  rapid  as  ours." 

"  Heaven  preserve  us  from  their  attacks ! "  said  the 
doctor,  "they  are  more  to  be  feared  by  us  than  wild 
beasts  or  savage  tribes." 

"  Bah  I "  said  the  hunter,  "  we  can  drive  them  ofl"  with 
a  few  rifle-shots." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  would  prefer,  dear  Dick,  not  having 
to  rely  upon  your  skill,  this  time,  for  the  silk  of  our  bal- 
loon could  not  resist  their  sharp  beaks ;  fortunately,  the 
huge  birds  will,  I  believe,  be  more  frightened  than  at- 
tracted by  our  machine." 

"  Yes !  but  a  new  idea,  and  I  have  dozens  of  them," 
said  Joe ;  "  if  we  could  only  manage  to  capture  a  team  of 
live  eagles,  we  could  hitch  them  to  the  balloon,  and  they'a 
haul  us  through  the  air ! " 

"  The  thing  has  been  senously  proposed,"  replied  the 
doctor,  "but  I  think  it  hardly  practicable  with  creatures 
naturally  so  restive." 

"  Oh  I  we'd  tame  them,"  said  Joe.  "  Instead  of  driving 
them  vnih  bits,  we'd  do  it  with  eye-blinkers  that  would 
cover  their  eyes.  Half  blinded  in  that  way,  they'd  go  to 
the  right  or  to  the  left,  as  we  desired ;  when  blinded  coitt- 
pletely,  they  would  stop." 


162  FTVE   WEEKS    IN   A   BALLOON. 

"  Allow  me,  Joe,  to  prefer  a  favorable  wind  to  youi 
team  of  eagles.     It  costs  less  for  fodder,  and  is  more 

reliable." 

"  Well,  you  may  have  your  choice,  master,  but  I  stick 
10  my  idea." 

It  now  was  noon.  The  Yictoria  had  been  going  at 
a  more  moderate  speed  for  some  time ;  the  country  merely 
passed  below  it ;  it  no  longer  flew. 

Suddenly,  shouts  and  whistlings  were  heard  by  our 
aeronauts,  and,  leaning  over  the  edge  of  the  car,  they  saw 
on  the  open  plain  below  them  an  exciting  spectacle. 

Two  hostile  tribes  were  fighting  furiously,  and  the  air 
was  dotted  with  volleys  of  arrows.  The  combatants  were 
so  intent  upon  their  murderous  work  that  they  did  not 
notice  the  arrival  of  the  balloon ;  there  were  about  three 
hundred  mingled  confusedly  in  the  deadly  struggle :  most 
of  them,  red  with  the  blood  of  the  wounded,  in  which  they 
fairly  wallowed,  were  horrible  to  behold. 

As  they  at  last  caught  sight  of  the  balloon,  there  was 
a  momentary  pause ;  but  their  yells  redoubled,  and  some 
arrows  were  shot  at  the  Victoria^  one  of  them  coming 
close  enough  for  Joe  to  catch  it  with  his  hand. 

"Let  us  rise  out  of  range,"  exclaimed  the  doctor; 
"  there  must  be  no  rashness  !  We  are  forbidden  any 
risk." 

Meanwhile,  the  massacre  continued  on  both  sides,  with 
battle-axes  and  war-clubs ;  as  quickly  as  one  of  the  com- 
batants fell,  a  hostile  warrior  ran  up  to  cut  off  his  head, 
while  the  women,  mingling  in  the  fray,  gathered  up  these 
bloody  trophies,  and  piled  them  together  at  either  ex- 
tremity of  the  battle-fie^d.  Often,  too,  they  even  fought 
for  these  hideous  sj^ils. 

"  What  a  frightftd  scene ! "  said  Kennedy,  with  pro* 
found  disgust. 

*'  They're  ugly  acquaintances  I "  added  Joe ;  "  but  then^ 


KENNEDY    KILLS   ONE   OF   THE   CHTEFS.  163 

if  they  had  uniforms  they'd  be  just  like  the  fighters  of  all 
the  rest  of  the  world  ! " 

"  I  have  a  keen  hankering  to  take  a  hand  in  at  that 
fight,"  said  the  hunter,  brandishing  his  rifle. 

"No!  no!"  objected  the  doctor,  vehemently;  "n^^ 
let  us  not  meddle  with  what  don't  concern  us.  Do  yoo 
know  which  is  right  or  which  is  wrong,  that  you  would 
assume  the  part  of  the  Almighty  ?  Let  us,  rather,  hurry 
away  from  this  revolting  spectacle.  Could  the  great  cap- 
tains of  the  world  float  thus  above  the  scenes  of  their 
exploits,  they  would  at  last,  perhaps,  conceive  a  disgust 
for  blood  and  conquest." 

The  chieftain  of  one  of  the  contending  parties  was 
remarkable  for  his  athletic  proportions,  his  great  height, 
and  herculean  strength.  With  one  hand  he  plunged  his 
spear  into  the  compact  ranks  of  his  enemies,  and  with  the 
other  mowed  large  spaces  in  them  with  his  battle-axe. 
Suddenly  he  flung  away  his  war-club,  red  with  blood, 
rushed  upon  a  wounded  warrior,  and,  chopping  ofi"  his  arm 
at  a  single  stroke,  carried  the  dissevered  member  to  his 
mouth,  and  bit  it  again  and  again. 

"Ah!"  ejaculated  Kennedy,  "the  horrible  brute!  I 
can  hold  back  no  longer,"  and,  as  he  spoke,  the  huge 
savage,  struck  full  in  the  forehead  vnth  a  rifle-ball,  fell 
headlong  to  the  ground. 

Upon  this  sudden  mishap  of  their  leader,  his  warriors 
seemed  struck  dumb  with  amazement;  his  supernatural 
death  awed  them,  while  it  reanimated  the  courage  and 
ardor  of  their  adversaries,  and,  in  a  twinkling,  the  field 
was  abandoned  by  half  the  combatants. 

"  Come,  let  us  look  higher  up  for  a  current  to  bear  us 
away.     I  am  sick  of  this  spectacle,"  said  the  doctor. 

But  they  could  not  get  away  so  rapidly  as  to  avoid 
the  siglit  of  the  victorious  tribe  rushing  upon  the  dead 


164  FIVE  WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

and  the  wounded,  scrambling  and  disputing  for  the  still 
warm  and  reeking  flesh,  and  eagerly  devouring  it. 

"  Faugh ! "  uttered  Joe,  "  it's  sickening." 

The  balloon  rose  as  it  expanded ;  the  bowlings  of  the 
brutal  horde,  ia  the  delirium  of  their  orgy,  pursued  them 
for  a  few  minutes  ;  but,  at  length,  borne  away  toward  the 
south,  they  were  carried  out  of  sight  and  hearing  of  this 
horrible  spectacle  of  cannibalism. 

The  surface  of  the  country  was  now  greatly  varied, 
with  numerous  streams  of  water,  bearing  toward  the  east. 
The  latter,  undoubtedly,  ran  into  those  affluents  of  Lake 
Nu,  or  of  the  River  of  the  Gazelles,  concerning  which  M. 
Guillaume  Lejean  has  given  such  curious  details. 

At  nightfall,  the  balloon  cast  anchor  in  twenty-seven 
degrees  east  longitude,  aud  four  degrees  twenty  minutes 
north  latitu  le,  after  a  day's  trip  of  one  hundred  and  fiftj 
miles. 


CHAPTER   TWENTr-FmST. 

atraage  Sounds.— A  Night  Attack.— Kennedy  and  Joe  in  the  Tree.— Two  Shot* 
— "  Help  I  help  1  "—Reply  in  French.— The  Moruing.— The  MisBionary  —The 
Plan  of  Roscce. 

The  night  came  on  very  dark.  The  doctor  had  not 
been  able  to  reconnoitre  the  country.  He  had  made  fast 
to  a  very  tall  tree,  from  which  he  could  distinguish  only  a 
confused  mass  through  the  gloom. 

As  usual,  he  took  the  nine-o'clock  watch,  and  at  mid 
night  Dick  relieved  him, 

"  Keep  a  sharp  lookout,  Dick ! "  was  the  doctor's  good 
night  injunction. 

"  Is  there  any  thing  new  on  the  carpet  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  thought  that  J  heard  vague  sounds  below 
us,  and,  as  1  don't  exactly  know  where  the  wind  has  car- 
ried us  to,  even  an  excess  of  caution  would  do  no  harm." 

"You've  probably  heard  the  cries  of  wild  beasts." 

"  No  1  the  sounds  seemed  to  me  something  altogether 
different  from  that ;  at  all  events,  on  the  least  alarm  don't 
fail  to  waken  us." 

"  I'll  do  so,  doctor ;  rest  easy." 

After  listening  attentively  for  a  moment  or  two  longer, 
the  doctor,  hearing  nothing  more,  threw  himself  on  his 
blankets  and  went  asleep. 

Tlie  sky  was  covered  with  dense  clouds,  but  not  a 
breath  of  air  was  Stirling ;  and  the  balloon,  kept  in  its  place 
by  only  a  single  anchor,  experienced  not  the  slightest 
oscillation. 


160  FIVE   WEEKS    rN   A  BALLOON. 

Kennedy,  leaning  his  elbow  on  the  edge  of  the  car,  so 
as  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  cylinder,  which  was  actively  at 
work,  gazed  out  upon  the  calm  obscurity ;  he  eagerly 
scanned  the  horizon,  and,  as  often  happens  to  minds  that 
are  uneasy  or  possessed  with  preconceived  notions,  he 
fancied  that  he  sometimes  detected  vague  gleams  of  light 
in  the  distance. 

At  one  moment  he  even  thought  that  he  saw  them  only 
two  himdred  paces  away,  quite  distinctly,  but  it  was  a 
mere  flash  that  was  gone  as  quickly  as  it  came,  and  ho 
noticed  nothing  more.  It  was,  no  doubt,  one  of  those 
luminous  illusions  that  sometimes  impress  the  eye  in  the 
midst  of  very  profound  darkness. 

Kennedy  was  getting  over  his  nervousness  and  falling 
into  his  wandering  meditations  again,  when  a  sharp  whistle 
pierced  his  ear. 

Was  that  the  cry  of  an  animal  or  of  a  night-bird,  or 
did  it  come  from  human  lips  ? 

Kennedy,  perfectly  comprehending  the  gravity  of  the 
situation,  was  on  the  point  of  waking  his  companions,  but 
he  reflected  that,  in  any  case,  men  or  animals,  the  crea- 
tures that  he  had  heard  must  be  out  of  reach.  So  he  mere- 
ly saw  that  his  weapons  were  all  right,  and  then,  with  his 
night-glass,  again  plunged  his  gaze  into  space. 

It  was  not  long  before  he  thought  he  could  perceive 
below  him  vague  forms  that  seemed  to  be  gliding  toward 
the  tree,  and  then,  by  the  aid  of  a  ray  of  moonlight  that 
shot  like  an  electric  flash  between  two  masses  of  cloud,  he 
distinctly  made  out  a  group  of  human  figures  moving  in 
the  shadow. 

The  adventure  with  the  dog-faced  baboons  returned 
to  his  memory,  and  he  placed  his  hand  on  the  doctor's 
shoulder. 

The  latter  was  awake  in  a  moment. 

"  Silence  I "  said  Dick,  "  Let  us  speak  below  om 
breath,'* 


THE    ALAKM.  167 

"  Has  any  thing  happened  ?  " 

"  Yes,  let  us  waken  Joe." 

The  instant  that  Joe  was  aroused,  Kennedy  told  him 
what  he  had  seen. 

"  Those  confounded  monkeys  again  I "  said  Joe. 

"  Possibly,  biit  we  must  be  on  our  guard." 

"  Joe  and  I,"  saic  Kennedy,  "  will  climb  down  the  tree 
by  the  ladder." 

"  And,  in  the  meanwhile,"  added  the  doctoi ,  "  I  will 
take  my  measures  oo  that  we  can  ascend  rapidly  at  a 
moment's  warning." 

"Agreed!" 

"  Let  us  go  down,  then  !  "  said  Joe. 

"  Don't  use  your  weapons,  excepting  at  the  last  ex- 
tremity !  It  would  be  a  useless  risk  to  make  the  natives 
aware  of  our  presence  in  such  a  place  as  this." 

Dick  and  Joe  replied  with  signs  of  assent,  and  then 
letting  themselves  slide  noiselessly  toward  the  tree,  took 
their  position  in  a  fork  among  the  strong  branches  where 
the  anchor  had  caught. 

For  some  moments  they  listened  minutely  and  motion- 
lessly  among  the  foliage,  and  ere  long  Joe  seized  Ken- 
nedy's hand  as  he  heard  a  sort  of  rubbing  soimd  against 
the  bark  of  the  tree. 

"  Don't  you  hear  that  ?  "  he  whispered. 

"  Yes,  and  it's  coming  nearer." 

"Suppose  it  should  be  a  serpent?  That  hissing  or 
whistling  that  you  heard  before — " 

"  No  I  there  was  something  human  in  it." 

"  I'd  prefer  the  savages,  for  I  have  a  horror  of  those 
snakes." 

"  The  noise  is  increasing,"  said  Kennedy,  again,  after 
%  lapse  of  a  few  moments. 

"Yes!  something's  coming  up  toward  us— climbing." 

"  Keep  watch  (  n  this  side,  and  I'll  take  care  of  the  other." 


168  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A   BALLOOW. 

"  Very  good  I  " 

There  they  were,  isolated,  at  the  top  of  one  of  the 
arger  branches  shootmg  out  in  the  midst  of  one  of 
those  miniature  forests  called  baobab-trees.  The  darkness, 
heightened  by  the  density  of  the  foliage,  was  profound ; 
however,  Joe,  leaning  over  to  Kennedy's  ear  and  pointing 
down  the  tree,  whispered : 

"  The  blacks  !     They're  climbing  toward  us." 

The  two  friends  could  even  catch  the  sound  of  a  few 
words  uttered  in  the  lowest  possible  tones. 

Joe  gently  brought  bis  rifle  to  his  shoulder  as  he  spoke. 

"  "Wait !  "  said  Kennedy. 

Some  of  the  natives  had  really  climbed  the  baobab, 
and  now  they  were  seen  rising  on  all  sides,  winding  along 
the  boughs  like  reptiles,  and  advancing  slowly  but  surely, 
all  the  time  plainly  enough  discernible,  not  merely  to  the 
eye  but  to  the  nostrils,  by  the  horrible  odors  of  the  rancid 
grease  with  which  they  bedaub  their  bodies. 

Ere  long,  two  heads  appeared  to  the  gaze  of  Kennedy 
and  Joe,  on  a  level  with  the  very  branch  to  which  they 
were  clinging. 

"Attention!"  said  Kennedy.     "Fire!" 

The  double  concussion  resounded  like  a  thimderbolt 
and  died  away  into  cries  of  rage  and  pain,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment the  whole  horde  had  disappeared. 

But,  in  the  midst  of  these  yells  and  howls,  a  strange, 
unexpected — nay  what  seemed  an  impossible — cry  had 
Deen  heard  !  A  human  voice  had,  distinctly,  called  aloud 
m  the  French  language — 

"  Help  !  help  ! " 

Kennedy  and  Joe,  dimib  with  amazement,  had  regained 
the  car  immediately. 

"  Did  you  hea-  that  ?  "  the  doctor  asked  them. 

"  Undoubtedly,  that  supernatural  cry,  ^A  moi !  d  mot! 
oomea  from  a  Frenchman  in  the  hands  of  these  barbarians  J' ' 


TH1:T   EE80LVE   TO   RESOUE   THE   PKI80NEB.  169 

"  A  traveller." 

"  A  missionary,  perliaps." 

"  Poor  wretch ! "  said  Kennedy,  "  they're  assassinating 
him — making  a  martyr  of  him  ! " 

The  doctor  then  spoke,  and  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  conceal  his  emotions. 

"  There  can  be  no  donbt  of  it,"  he  said ;  "  some  un- 
fortunate Frenchman  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  these 
savages.  We  must  not  leave  this  place  without  doing  all 
in  our  power  to  save  him.  When  he  heard  the  sound  of 
our  guns,  he  recognized  an  unhoped-for  assistance,  a  prov- 
idential interposition.  We  shall  not  disappoint  his  last 
hope.     Are  such  your  views  ?  " 

"  They  are,  doctor,  and  we  are  ready  to  obey  you." 

"  Let  us,  then,  lay  our  heads  together  to  devise  some 
plan,  and  in  the  morning  we'll  try  to  rescue  him." 

"  But  how  shall  we  drive  off  those  abominable  blacks  ?  " 
asked  Kennedy. 

"  It's  quite  clear  to  me,  from  the  way  in  which  they 
made  off,  that  they  are  imacquainted  with  fire-arms.  We 
must,  therefore,  profit  by  their  fears ;  but  we  shall  await 
daylight  before  acting,  and  then  we  can  form  our  plans  of 
rescue  according  to  circumstances." 

"The  poor  captive  cannot  be  far  off,"  said  Joe,  "be- 
cause— " 

"Helpl  helpl"  repeated  the  voice,  but  much  more 
feebly  this  time. 

"  The  savage  wretches ! "  exclaimed  Joe,  trembling 
with  indignation.  "  Suppose  they  should  kill  him  to- 
night ! " 

"  Do  you  hear,  doctor,"  resumed  Kennedy,  seizing  the 
doctor's  hand.    "  Suppose  they  should  kill  him  to-night !  " 

"It  is  not  at  all  likely,  my  friends.  These  savage 
tribes  kill  their  captives  in  broad  daylight;  they  must 
have  the  sunshine." 


ITO  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

"  Now,  if  I  were  to  take  advantage  of  the  darkuesB  to 
slip  down  to  the  poor  fellow  ?  "  said  Kennedy. 

"  And  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Joe,  warmly. 

"  Pause,  my  friends — pause  !  The  suggestion  does 
honor  to  your  hearts  and  to  your  courage ;  but  you  would 
expose  us  all  to  great  peril,  and  do  still  greater  harm  to 
the  unfortunate  man  whom  you  wish  to  aid." 

"Why  so?"  asked  Kennedy.  "These  savages  are 
frightened  and  dispersed:  they  will  not  return." 

"  Dick,  I  implore  you,  heed  what  I  say.  I  am  acting 
for  the  common  good ;  and  if  by  any  accident  you  should 
be  taken  by  surprise,  all  would  be  lost." 

"  But,  think  of  that  poor  wretch,  hoping  for  aid,  wait- 
ing there,  praying,  calling  aloud.  Is  no  one  to  go  to  hif 
assistance  ?  He  must  think  that  his  senses  deceived  him ; 
that  he  heard  nothing ! " 

"  We  can  reassure  him,  on  that  score,"  said  Dr.  Fer- 
guson— and,  standing  erect,  making  a  sj^eaking-trumpet 
of  his  hands,  he  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  in  French 
"  Whoever  you  are,  be  of  good  cheer !     Three  friends  are 
watching  over  you." 

A  terrific  howl  from  the  savages  responded  to  these 
words — no  doubt  dro^vning  the  prisoner's  reply. 

"  They  are  murdering  him  1  they  are  murdering  him ! " 
exclaimed  Kennedy.  "  Our  interference  will  have  served 
no  other  purpose  than  to  hasten  the  hour  of  his  doom. 
We  must  act ! " 

"But  how,  Dick?  What  do  you  expect  to  do  in  tho 
midst  of  this  darkness  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  it  was  only  daylight ! "  sighed  Joe. 

"  Well,  and  suppose  it  were  daylight  ?  "  said  the  doctor, 
in  a  singular  tone. 

"  Nothing  more  simple,  doctor,"  said  Kennedy.  "  I'd 
go  down  and  scattei  all  these  savage  villains  with  powder 
and  baU  I " 


IMPEACTICABLE   PLAITS.  171 

"  And  you,  Joe,  what  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  I,  master  ?  why,  I'd  act  more  prudently,  maybe,  by 
telling  the  prisoner  to  make  his  escape  in  a  certain 
direction  that  we'd  agree  upon." 

"  And  how  would  you  get  him  to  know  that  ?  " 

"  By  means  of  tliis  arrow  that  I  caught  flying  the  other 
day.  I'd  tie  a  note  to  it,  or  I'd  just  call  out  to  him  in  a 
ioud  voice  what  you  want  him  to  do,  because  these  black 
fellows  don't  understand  the  language  that  you'd  spealv 
m!" 

"  Tour  plans  are  impracticable,  my  dear  friends.  The 
greatest  difficulty  woiild  be  for  this  poor  fellow  to  escape 
at  all — even  admitting  that  he  should  manage  to  elude 
the  vigilance  of  his  captors.  As  for  you,  my  dear  Dick, 
with  determined  daring,  and  profiting  by  their  alarui  at 
our  fire-arms,  your  project  might  possibly  succeed;  but, 
were  it  to  fail,  you  would  be  lost,  and  we  should  have  two 
persons  to  save  instead  of  one.  No !  we  must  put  all  the 
chances  on  our  side,  and  go  to  work  differently." 

"  But  let  ns  act  at  once  !  "  said  the  hunter. 

"  Perhaps  we  may,"  said  the  doctor,  throwing  consid- 
erable stress  upon  the  words. 

"  Why,  doctor,  can  you  light  up  such  darkness  as 
ihis?" 

"  Who  knows,  Joe  ?  " 

"  Ah !  if  you  can  do  that,  you're  the  greatest  learned 
man  in  the  world ! " 

The  doctor  kept  silent  for  a  few  moments;  he  was 
thinking.  His  two  companions  looked  at  him  with  much 
emotion,  for  they  were  greatly  excited  by  the  strangeness 
of  the  situation.     Ferguson  at  last  resumed : 

"  Here  is  my  plan :  We  have  two  hundred  pounds  of 
ballast  left,  since  the  bags  we  brought  with  us  are  still 
untouched.  I'll  suppose  that  this  prisoner,  who  is  evi- 
dently exhausted  by  suffering,  weighs  as  mucli  as  one  of 

P» 


1T2  FTVnE   WEEKS    IN   A   BAIXOOIT. 

as ;  there  will  still  remain  sixty  pounds  of  ballast  to  throw 
out,  in  case  we  should  want  to  ascend  suddenly." 

"  How  do  you  expect  to  manage  the  balloon?"  asked 
Kennedy. 

"  This  is  the  idea,  Dick :  you  will  admit  that  if  I  can 
jet  to  the  prisoner,  and  throw  out  a  quantity  of  ballast, 
equal  to  his  weight,  I  shall  have  in  nowise  altered  the 
equilibrium  of  the  balloon.  But,  then,  if  I  want  to  get  a 
rapid  ascension,  so  as  to  escape  these  savages,  I  must 
employ  moans  more  energetic  than  the  cylinder.  Well, 
then,  in  throwing  out  this  overplus  of  ballast  at  a  given 
moment,  I  am  certain  to  rise  with  great  rapidity." 

"  That's  plain  enough." 

"  Yes ;  but  there  is  one  drawback :  it  consists  in  the 
fact  that,  in  order  to  descend  after  that,  I  should  have 
to  part  with  a  quantity  of  gas  proportionate  to  the  surplus 
ballast  that  I  had  thrown  out.  Now,  the  gas  is  precious ; 
but  we  must  not  haggle  over  it  when  the  life  of  a  fellow- 
creature  is  at  stake." 

"  You  are  right,  sir ;  we  must  do  every  thing  in  our 
power  to  save  him." 

"Let  us  work,  then,  and  get  these  bags  all  arranged  oi 
the  rim  of  the  car,  so  that  they  may  be  thrown  overboara 
at  one  movement." 

"  But  this  darkness  ?  " 

"It  hides  our  preparations,  and  will  be  dispersed  only 
when  they  are  finished.  Take  care  to  have  all  our  weap- 
ons close  at  hand.  Perhaps  we  may  have  to  fire ;  so  we 
have  one  shot  in  the  rifle;  four  for  the  two  muskets; 
twelve  in  the  two  revolvers ;  or  seventeen  in  all,  which 
might  be  fired  in  a  quarter  of  a  minute.  But  perhaps  we 
-xiall  not  have  to  resort  to  all  this  noisy  work.  Are  you 
ready  ?  " 

"  We're  ready,"  responded  Joe. 

The  sacks  were  placed  as  requested,  and  the  armi 
wvn  put  in  good  order. 


tblE  dootok  illtiminates  the  soene.  173 

"Very  goodl"  said  the  doctor.  "Have  an  eye  to 
every  thing.  Joe  will  see  to  throwing  out  the  ballast, 
and  Dick  will  carry  off  the  prisoner ;  but  let  nothing  be 
done  until  I  give  the  word.  Joe  will  first  detach  the 
anchor,  and  then  quickly  make  his  way  back  to  the  car." 

Joe  let  himself  slide  down  by  the  rope  ;  and,  in  a  few 
moments,  reappeared  at  his  post ;  while  the  balloon,  thus 
liberated,  hung  almost  motionless  in  the  air. 

In  the  mean  time  the  doctor  assured  himself  of  the 
presence  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  gas  in  the  mixing-tank 
to  feed  the  cylinder,  if  necessary,  without  there  being  anj 
need  of  resorting  for  some  time  to  the  Buntzen  battery 
He  then  took  out  the  two  perfectly-isolated  conducting- 
wires,  which  served  for  the  decomposition  of  the  water,  and, 
searching  in  his  travelling-sack,  brought  forth  two  pieces 
of  charcoal,  cut  down  to  a  sharp  point,  and  fixed  one  at 
the  end  of  each  vdve. 

His  two  friends  looked  on,  without  knowing  what  he 
was  about,  but  they  kept  perfectly  silent.  When  the  doc- 
tor had  finished,  he  stood  up  erect  in  the  car,  and,  taking 
the  two  pieces  of  charcoal,  one  in  each  hand,  drew  their 
points  nearly  together. 

In  a  twinkling,  an  intense  and  dazzling  light  was 
produced,  with  an  insupportable  glow  between  the  two 
pointed  ends  of  charcoal,  and  a  huge  jet  of  electric  ra- 
diance literally  broke  the  darkness  of  the  night. 

"  Oh !  "  ejaculated  the  astonished  friends, 

"  Not  a  word  1 "  cautioned  the  doctor. 


OHAPTER   TWENTY-SECOND. 

Ibe  )<$t  til  'jight.— The  Missionary.— The  Rescue  In  a  Ray  of  Kloctricitj .  — A 
Lazaiist  Pnest.— But  little  Hope.— The  Doctor's  Care.— A  Life  of  Self-De- 
EiaL-  -Passing  a  Volcano. 

Dr.  Ferguson  darted  his  powerful  electric  jet  toward 
various  points  of  space,  and  caused  it  to  rest  on  a  spot 
from  which  shouts  of  terror  were  heard.  His  companions 
fixed  their  gaze  eagerly  on  the  place. 

The  baobab,  over  which  the  balloon  was  hanging  al- 
most motionless,  stood  in  the  centre  of  a  clearing,  where, 
between  fields  of  Indian-corn  and  sugar-cane,  were  seen 
some  fifty  low,  conical  huts,  around  which  swarmed  a 
numerous  tribe. 

A  hundred  feet  below  the  balloon  stood  a  large  post, 
or  stake,  and  at  its  foot  lay  a  human  being — a  young  man 
of  thirty  years  or  more,  with  long  black  hair,  half  naked, 
A^asted  and  wan,  bleeding,  covered  with  wounds,  his  head 
Dowed  over  upon  his  breast,  as  Christ's  was,  when  He 
hung  upon  the  cross. 

The  hair,  cut  shorter  on  the  top  of  his  skull,  still  indi- 
cated the  place  of  a  half-eifaced  tonsure. 

"  A  missionary  !  a  priest ! "  exclaimed  Joe. 

"  Poor,  unfortunate  man  ! "  said  Kennedy. 

"  We  must  save  him,  Dick ! "  responded  the  doctor ; 
"  we  must  save  him  1 " 

The  crowd  of  blacks,  when  they  saw  the  balloon  over 
their  heads,  like  a  huge  comet  with  a  train  of  dazzling 
light,  were  seized  with  a  terror  that  may  be  readily  ima- 


IHE   EE8CTJE.  175 

gined.  Upon  hearing  their  cries,  the  prisor  er  raised  his 
head.  His  eyes  gleamed  with  sudden  hope,  and,  without 
too  thoroughly  comprehending  what  was  taking  place,  he 
stretched  out  his  hands  to  his  unexpected  deliverers. 

*'  He  is  alive ! "  exclaimed  Ferguson.  "  God  be  praised  I 
The  savages  have  got  a  fine  scare,  and  we  shall  save  him ! 
Are  you  ready,  friends  ?  " 

"  Ready,  doctor,  at  the  word." 

"  Joe,  shut  off  the  cylinder  I  "^ 

The  doctor's  order  was  executed.  An  almost  imper- 
ceptible breath  of  air  impelled  the  balloon  directly  over 
the  prisoner,  at  the  same  time  that  it  gently  lowered  with 
the  contraction  of  the  gas.  For  about  ten  minutes  it  re- 
mained floating  in  the  midst  of  luminous  waves,  for  Fer- 
guson continued  to  flash  right  down  upon  the  throng  his 
glowing  sheaf  of  rays,  which,  here  and  there,  marked  out 
swift  and  vivid  sheets  of  light.  The  tribe,  under  the  in- 
flueiice  of  an  indescribable  terror,  disappeared  little  by 
little  in  the  huts,  and  there  was  complete  solitude  around 
the  stake.  The  doctor  had,  therefore,  been  right  in  count- 
ing upon  the  fantastic  appearance  of  the  balloon  throwing 
out  rays,  as  vivid  as  the  sun's,  through  this  intense  gloom. 

The  car  was  approaching  the  ground ;  but  a  few  of  the 
savages,  more  audacious  than  the  rest,  guessing  that  their 
victim  was  about  to  escape  from  their  clutches,  came  back 
with  loud  yells,  and  Kennedy  seized  his  rifle.  The  doctor, 
nowever,  besought  him  not  to  fire. 

The  priest,  on  his  knees,  for  he  had  not  the  strength  to 
stand  erect,  was  not  even  fastened  to  the  stake,  his  weak- 
ness rendering  that  precaution  superfluous.  At  the  instant 
when  the  car  was  close  to  the  ground,  the  brawny  Scot, 
laying  aside  his  rifle,  and  seizing  the  priest  around  the 
waist,  lifted  him  into  the  car,  while,  at  the  same  moment, 
Joe  tossed  over  the  two  hundred  pounds  of  ballast. 

The  doctor  had  expected  to  ascend  rapidly,  but,  con- 


176  ITTE   WEEK?   Tiq^   A   BAI.LOON. 

trary  to  his  calculations,  the  balloon,  after  going  uf  some 
three  or  four  feet,  remained  there  perfectly  motionless. 

"  What  holds  us  ?  "  he  asked,  with  an  accent  of  terror. 

Some  of  the  savages  were  running  toward  them,  utter- 
mg  ferocious  cries. 

"  Ah,  ha ! "  said  Joe,  "  one  of  those  cursed  blacks  i 
hanging  to  the  car ! " 

"  Dick  !  Dick ! "  cried  the  doctor,  "  the  water-tank ! " 

Kennedy  caught  his  friend's  idea  on  the  instant,  and, 
snatching  up  with  desperate  strength  one  of  the  water- 
tanks  weighing  about  one  hundred  pounds,  he  tossed  it 
overboard.  The  balloon,  thus  suddenly  lightened,  made  a 
leap  of  three  hundred  feet  into  the  air,  amid  the  bowlings 
of  the  tribe  whose  prisoner  thus  escaped  them  in  a  blaze 
of  dazzlinof  light. 

"  Hurrah  ! "  shouted  the  doctor's  comrades. 

Suddenly,  the  balloon  took  a  fresh  leap,  which  carried 
it  up  to  an  elevation  of  a  thousand  feet. 

"  What's  that  ? "  said  Kennedy,  who  had  nearly  lost 
his  balance. 

"  Oh  !  nothing ;  only  that  black  villain  leaving  us ! " 
replied  the  doctor,  tranquilly,  and  Joe,  leaning  over,  saw 
the  savage  that  had  clung  to  the  car  whirling  over  and 
over,  with  his  arms  outstretched  in  the  air,  and  presently 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  ground.  The  doctor  then  sepa- 
rated his  electric  wires,  and  every  thing  was  again  buried 
in  profound  obscurity.  It  was  now  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

The  Frenchman,  who  had  swooned  away,  at  length 
opened  his  eyes. 

"  You  are  saved ! "  were  the  doctor's  first  words. 

"Saved!"  he  with  a  sad  smile  replied  in  English, 
"  saved  from  a  cruel  death  !  My  brethren,  I  thank  you, 
but  my  days  are  numbered,  nay,  even  my  hours,  an^  ] 
have  but  little  longer  t    live." 


THE   DOOTOE   U8E8    HIS    BUBGaOAL   SKILL.  177 

With  this,  the  missionary,  again  yielding  to  exhaustion, 
relapsed  into  his  fainting-fit. 

"  He  is  dying  ! "  said  Kennedy. 

"  No,"  replied  the  doctor,  bending  over  him,  "  but  he 
is  very  weak ;  so  let  us  lay  him  under  the  awning." 

And  they  did  gently  deposit  on  their  blankets  tha4 
poor,  wasted  body,  covered  with  scars  and  wounds,  still 
bleeding  where  fire  and  steel  had,  in  twenty  places,  left 
their  agonizing  marks.  The  doctor,  taking  an  old  hand- 
kerchief, quickly  prepared  a  little  lint,  which  he  spread 
over  the  wounds,  after  having  washed  them.  These  rapid 
attentions  were  bestowed  with  the  celerity  and  skill  of  a 
practised  surgeon,  and,  when  they  were  complete,  the  doc- 
tor, taking  a  cordial  from  his  medicine-chest,  poured  a  few 
drops  upon  his  patient's  lips. 

The  latter  feebly  pressed  his  kind  hands,  and  scarcely 
had  the  strength  to  say,  "  Thank  you !  thank  you ! " 

The  doctor  comprehended  that  he  must  be  left  per- 
fectly quiet ;  so  he  closed  the  folds  of  the  awning  and  re- 
sumed the  guidance  of  the  balloon. 

The  latter,  after  taking  into  account  the  weight  of  the 
new  passenger,  had  been  lightened  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  pounds,  and  therefore  kept  aloft  without  the  aid  ol 
the  cylinder.  At  the  first  dawn  of  day,  a  current  drove  it 
gently  toward  the  west-northwest.  The  doctor  went  in 
under  the  awniug  for  a  moment  or  two,  to  look  at  his  still 
sleeping  patient. 

"  May  Heaven  spare  the  life  of  our  new  companion  1 
Have  you  any  hope  ?  "  said  the  Scot. 

"  Yes,  Dick,  with  care,  in  this  pure,  fresh  atmosphere." 

"How  that  man  has  suffered ! "  said  Joe,  with  feeling. 
"  He  did  bolder  things  than  we've  done,  in  venturing  all 
a,^one  among  those  savage  tribes !  " 

"  That  cannot  be  questioned,"  assented  the  hunter. 

During  the  entire  day  the  doctor  would  not  allow  th« 


178  FIVE  WEEKS   m  A  BALLOON. 

sleep  of  his  patient  to  be  disturbed.  It  was  really  a  long 
stupor,  broken  only  by  an  occasional  murmur  of  pain  that 
continued  to  disquiet  and  agitate  the  doctor  greatly. 

Toward  evening  the  balloon  remained  stationary  in  the 
midst  of  the  gloom,  and  during  the  night,  while  Kennedy 
and  Joe  relieved  each  other  in  carefully  tending  the  sick 
man,  Ferguson  kept  watch  over  the  safety  of  all. 

By  the  morning  of  the  next  day,  the  balloon  had  moved, 
but  very  slightly,  to  the  westward.  The  dawn  came  up 
pure  and  magnificent.  The  sick  man  was  able  to  call  his 
friends  with  a  stronger  voice.  They  raised  the  curtains 
of  the  awning,  and  he  inhaled  with  delight  the  keen  morn- 
ing air. 

"How  do  you  feel  to-day?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Better,  perhaps,"  he  replied.  "  But  you,  my  friends, 
I  have  not  seen  you  yet,  excepting  in  a  dream !  I  car , 
indeed,  scarcely  recall  what  has  occurred.  Who  are  you 
—that  your  names  may  not  be  forgotten  in  my  dying 
prayers  ?  " 

"  We  are  English  travellers,"  replied  Ferguson.  "  We 
are  trying  to  cross  Africa  in  a  balloon,  and,  on  our  way, 
we  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  rescue  you." 

"  Science  has  its  heroes,"  said  the  missionary. 

"  But  religion  its  martyrs  ! "  rejoined  the  Scot. 

"  Are  you  a  missionary  ?  "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  I  am  a  priest  of  the  Lazarist  mission.  Heaven  sent 
you  to  me — Heaven  be  praised  !  The  sacrifice  of  my  life 
had  been  accomplished !  But  you  come  from  Europe ; 
tell  me  about  Europe,  about  France !  I  have  been  with- 
0  ut  news  for  the  last  five  years !  " 

"  Five  years !  alone !  and  among  these  savages  ! "  ex- 
claimed Kennedy  with  amazement. 

"  They  are  souls  to  redeem !  ignorant  and  barbarous 
brethren,  whom  religion  alone  can  instruct  and  civilize." 

Dr.  Ferguson,  yielding  to  the  priest's  request,  talked 


THB   mSSIONAEY   TELLS    HIS    HISTOET.  179 

to  him  long  and  fully  about  France.  He  listened  eagerly 
and  his  eyes  filled  with  tears.  He  seized  Kennedy's  and 
Joe's  hands'  by  turns  in  his  own,  which  were  burning  with 
fever.  The  doctor  prepared  him  some  tea,  and  he  drank 
it  with  satisfaction.  After  that,  he  had  strength  enough 
to  raise  himself  up  a  little,  and  smiled  with  pleasure  at 
seeing  himself  borne  along  through  so  pure  a  sky. 

"  You  are  daring  travellers !  "  he  said,  "  and  you  wii' 
succeed  in  your  bold  enterprise.  You  will  again  behold 
your  relatives,  your  friends,  your  country — you — " 

At  this  moment,  the  weakness  of  the  young  missionary 
became  so  extreme  that  they  had  to  lay  him  again  on  the 
bed,  where  a  prostration,  lasting  for  several  hours,  held 
him  like  a  dead  man  vinder  the  eye  of  Dr.  Ferguson.  The 
latter  could  not  suppress  his  emotion,  for  he  felt  that  this 
life  now  in  his  charge  was  ebbing  away.  Were  they  then 
so  soon  to  lose  him  whom  they  had  snatched  fi'om  an 
agonizing  death  ?  The  doctor  again  Avashed  and  dressed 
the  young  martyi-'s  frightful  wounds,  and  had  to  sacrifice 
nearly  his  whole  stock  of  water  to  refresh  his  burning 
limbs.  He  surrounded  him  with  the  tenderest  and  most 
intelligent  care,  until,  at  length,  the  sick  man  revived, 
little  by  little,  in  his  arms,  and  recovered  his  consciousness 
if  not  his  strength. 

The  doctor  was  able  to  gather  something  of  his  history 
from  his  broken  murmurs. 

'*  Speak  in  your  native  language,"  he  said  to  the  suf- 
ferer; "I  understand  it,  and  it  will  fatigue  you  less." 

The  missionary  was  a  poor  young  man  from  the  village 
of  Aradon,  in  Brittany,  in  the  Morbihan  country.  His 
earliest  instincts  had  drawn  him  toward  an  ecclesiasti(tal 
career,  but  to  this  life  of  self-sacrifice  he  was  also  desirous 
of  joinmg  a  life  of  danger,  by  entering  the  mission  of  the 
order  of  priesthood  of  which  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  was  the 
ioander,  and,  at  twenty,  he  quitted  his  country  for  the  in 


180  FIVB   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

hospitable  shores  of  Africa.  From  the  sea  coast,  ovet 
coming  obstacles,  little  by  little,  braving  all  privations, 
pushing  onward,  afoot,  and  praying,  he  had  advanced  to 
the  very  centre  of  those  tribes  that  dwell  among  the  trib- 
utary streams  of  the  Upper  jSTile.  For  two  years  his  faith 
was  spurned,  his  zeal  denied  recognition,  liis  charities 
taken  in  ill  part,  and  he  remained  a  prisoner  to  one  of  the 
cruelest  tribos  of  the  ^Tyambarra,  the  object  of  every 
specias  of  nialtr2At:iiS2it.  Bat  still  he  went  on  teaching, 
instructing,  anc.  prsy^g.  The  tribe  having  been  dis- 
persed and  he  left  for  dead,  in  one  of  those  combats  which 
are  so  frequent  between  the  tribes,  instead  of  retracing  his 
steps,  he  persisted  in  his  evangelical  mission.  His  most 
tranquil  time  was  when  he  was  taken  for  a  madman. 
Meanwhile,  he  had  made  himself  familiar  with  the  idioms 
of  the  country,  and  he  catechised  in  them.  At  length,  dur- 
ing two  more  long  years,  he  traversed  these  barbarous 
regions,  impelled  by  that  superhuman  energy  that  comes 
from  God.  For  a  year  past  he  had  been  residing  with 
that  tribe  of  the  Nyam-Nyams  knovm  as  the  Barafri^ 
one  of  the  wildest  and  most  ferocious  of  them  all.  The 
chief  having  died  a  few  days  before  our  travellers  appeared, 
his  sudden  death  was  attributed  to  the  missionary,  and 
the  tribe  resolved  to  immolate  him.  His  sufferings  had 
already  continued  for  the  space  of  forty  hours,  and,  as  the 
doctor  had  supposed,  he  was  to  have  perished  in  the  blaze 
of  the  noonday  sun.  When  he  heard  the  sound  of  fire-arms, 
nature  got  the  best  of  him,  and  he  had  cried  out,  "  Help  1 
help  1 "  He  then  thought  that  he  must  have  been  dream- 
ing, when  a  voice,  that  seemed  to  come  from  the  sky,  ha  i 
uttered  words  of  consolation. 

"  I  have  no  regrets,"  he  said,  "  for  the  life  that  is  pass« 
ing  away  from  me ;  my  life  belongs  to  God ! " 

"  Hope  still ! "  said  the  doctor ;  "  we  are  near  you,  and 
we  will  save  you  now,  as  we  saved  you  from  the  tortures 
^f  the  stake." 


OEOSSING    .HE   VOLCANO.  181 

"  I  do  not  ask  so  inucl  A  Heaven,"  said  the  priest, 
vrith  resignation.  ^'  Blessed  \>e  God  for  having  vouchsafed 
to  me  the  joy  before  I  die  oi  hrving  pressed  your  friendly 
hands,  and  having  heard,  oncf  nore,  the  language  of  my 
country  I " 

The  missionary  here  grew  weak  again,  and  the  whole 
day  went  by  between  hope  and  fear,  Kennedy  deeply 
moved,  and  Joe  drawing  his  hand  over  his  eyes  more 
than  once  when  he  thought  that  no  one  saw  him. 

The  balloon  made  little  progress,  and  the  wind  seemed 
AS  though  unwilling  to  jostle  its  precious  burden. 

Toward  evening,  Joe  discovered  a  great  light  in  the 
west.  Under  more  elevated  latitudes,  it  might  have  been 
mistaken  for  an  immense  aurora  borealis,  for  the  sky  ap- 
peared on  fire.  The  doctor  very  attentively  examined  the 
phenomenoiL 

"  It  is,  perhaps,  only  a  volcano  in  full  activity,"  said 
he. 

"  But  the  wind  is  carrying  us  directly  over  it,"  replied 
Kennedy. 

"  Very  well,  we  shall  cross  it  then  at  a  safe  height  I " 
said  the  doctor. 

Three  hours  later,  the  Victoria  was  right  among  the 
mountains.  Her  exact  position  was  twenty-four  degrees 
fifteen  minutes  east  longitude,  and  four  degrees  forty-two 
minutes  north  latitude.  In  front  of  her  a  volcanic  cratei 
was  pouring  forth  torrents  of  melted  lava,  and  hurling 
masses  of  rock  to  an  enormous  height.  There  were  jets 
too,  of  liquid  fire  that  fell  back  in  dazzling  cascades — a 
superb  but  dangerous  spectacle,  for  the  wind  with  un- 
swerving certainty  was  carrying  the  balloon  directly  tow- 
ard this  blazing  atmosphere. 

This  obstacle,  wh  ch  could  not  be  turned,  had  to  be 
urosted,  so  the  cylinder  was  put  to  its  utmost  power,  and 
tue  balloon  rose  to  the  heigh'  of  six  thousand  feet,  leaving 


189  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

between  it  and  the  volcano  a  space  of  more  than  three 
hundred  fathoms. 

From  his  bed  of  suffering,  the  dying  missionary  could 
contemplate  that  fiery  crater  from  which  a  thousand  jets 
of  dazzling  flame  were  that  moment  escaping. 

"  How  grand  it  is ! "  said  he,  "  and  how  infinite  is  the 
power  of  God  even  in  its  most  terrible  manifestations  1 " 

This  overflow  of  blazing  lava  wrapped  the  sides  of  the 
mountain  with  a  veritable  drapery  of  flame ;  the  lowei 
half  of  the  balloon  glowed  redly  in  the  upper  night ;  a 
torrid  heat  ascended  to  the  car,  and  Dr.  Ferguson  madt 
all  possible  haste  to  escape  from  this  perilous  situation. 

By  ten  o'clock  the  volcano  could  be  seen  only  as  a  f<s«3 
pomt  on  the  horizon,  and  the  balloon  tranquilly  pujfcrto^ 
her  course  in  &  less  elevated  zone  of  the  atmospaeie. 


CHAPTER    TWENTY-THIRD 

Joe  h>  i.  Kt  of  ItSn  -.  "^e  Death  of  a  Good  Man.— The  Night  of  watching  by  tu« 
Body. — Barrenneaa  and  Drought.— The  Barial.— The  Qnai-ts  Rocks. — Joe'i 
Hallacinations. — A  Precious  Ballast. — A  Survey  of  the  Gold-bearing  Moin 
tains. — The  Beginning  of  Joe's  Despair. 

A  MAG>TFicEjrr  night  oyerspread  the  earth,  and  th© 
missionary  lay  quietly  asleep  in  utter  exhaustion. 

"  He'll  not  get  over  it ! "  sighed  Joe.  "  Poor  young 
fellow — scarcely  thirty  years  of  age  I " 

"  He'll  die  in  our  arms.  His  breathing,  which  was  sc 
feeble  before,  is  growing  weaker  still,  and  I  can  do  nothing 
to  save  him,"  said  the  doctor,  despairingly. 

"  The  infamous  scoundrels  ! "  exclaimed  Joe,  grinding 
his  teeth,  in  one  of  those  fits  of  rage  that  came  over  him 
at  long  intervals ;  "  and  to  think  that,  in  spite  of  all,  this 
good  man  could  find  words  only  to  pity  them,  to  excuse, 
to  pardon  them  I " 

"  Heaven  has  given  him  a  lovely  night,  Joe — his  last 
on  earth,  perhaps !  He  will  suffer  but  little  more  after 
this,  and  his  dying  will  be  only  a  peaceful  falling  asleep." 

The  dying  man  uttered  some  broken  words,  and  the 
doctor  at  once  went  to  him.  His  breathing  became  diffi- 
cult, and  he  asked  for  air.  The  curtains  were  drawn 
entirely  back,  and  he  inhaled  with  rapture  the  light 
breezes  of  that  clear,  beautiful  night.  The  stars  sent 
him  their  trembling  rays,  and  the  moon  wrapped  him  in 
the  white  winding-sheet  of  its  effulgence. 

"  My  friends,"  said  he,  in  an  enfeebled  voice,  "  I  am 


184  FIVE   WEEKS   IN    A   BALLOOK. 

going.  May  God  requite  you,  and  bring  you  to  your  saft 
liarborl  May  he  pay  for  me  the  debt  of  gratitude  that  I 
owe  to  you  I " 

"  You  must  still  hope,"  replied  Kennedy.  "  This  is 
but  a  passing  fit  of  weakness.  You  will  not  die.  How 
could  any  one  die  on  this  beautiful  summer  night  ? " 

"  Death  is  at  hand,"  replied  the  missionary,  "  I  know 
it  1  Let  me  look  it  in  the  face !  Death,  the  commence- 
ment of  things  eternal,  is  but  the  end  of  earthly  cares. 
Place  me  upon  my  knees,  my  brethren,  I  beseech  you ! " 

Kennedy  lifted  him  up,  and  it  was  distressing  to  see 
his  weakened  limbs  bend  under  him. 

"  My  God  1  my  God ! "  exclaimed  the  dying  apostle, 
"  have  pity  on  me ! " 

His  countenance  shone.  Far  above  that  earth  on 
which  he  had  known  no  joys  ;  in  the  midst  of  that  night 
which  sent  to  him  its  softest  radiance ;  on  the  way  to 
that  heaven  toward  which  he  uplifted  his  spmt,  as  though 
in  a  miraculous  assumption,  he  seemed  already  to  live  and 
breathe  in  the  new  existeiy^e. 

His  last  gesture  was  a  supreme  blessing  on  his  new 
friends  of  only  one  day.  Then  he  fell  back  into  the  arms 
of  Kennedy,  whose  coimtenance  was  bathed  in  hot  tears. 

"  Dead  1 "  said  the  doctor,  bending  over  him,  "  dead ! " 
And  with  one  common  accord,  the  three  friends  knelt 
together  in  silent  prayer. 

"To-morrow,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "we  shall  bury 
him  in  the  African  soil  which  he  has  besprinkled  with  his 
blood." 

During  the  rest  of  the  night  the  body  was  watched, 
turn  by  turn,  by  the  three  travellers,  and  not  a  word  dis- 
turbed the  solemn  silence.     Each  of  them  was  weeping. 

The  next  day  the  wind  came  from  the  south,  and  the 
balloon  moved  slowly  over  a  vast  plateau  of  mountains  : 
there,  were  extinct  craters ;  here,  barren  ravines ;  not  a 


1 


THET    LAXD   IN    A   EAVINB.  185 

drop  of  water  on  those  parched  crests;  piles  of  broken 
rocks;  huge  stony  masses  scattered  hither  and  thither, 
and,  interspersed  with  whitish  marl,  all  indicated  the  most 
complete  sterility. 

Toward  noon,  the  doctor,  for  the  purpose  of  burying 
the  body,  decided  to  descend  into  a  ravine,  in  the  midet 
of  some  plutonic  rocks  of  primitive  formation.  The  sur- 
rounding mountains  would  shelter  him,  and  enable  liira  to 
brmg  his  car  to  the  ground,  for  there  was  no  tree  in  siglit 
to  which  he  could  make  it  fast. 

But,  as  he  had  explained  to  Kennedy,  it  was  now  im- 
possible for  him  to  descend,  except  by  releasing  a  quantity 
of  gas  proportionate  to  his  loss  of  ballast  at  the  time  when 
lie  had  rescued  the  missionary.  He  therefore  opened  the 
valve  of  the  outside  balloon.  The  hydrogen  escaped,  and 
the  Victoria  quietly  descended  into  the  ravine. 

As  soon  as  the  car  touched  the  ground,  the  doctor 
shut  the  valve.  Joe  leaped  out,  holding  on  the  while  to 
the  rim  of  the  car  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  other 
gathering  up  a  quantity  of  stones  equal  to  his  own  weight. 
He  could  then  use  both  hands,  and  had  soon  heaped  into 
the  car  more  than  five  hundred  pounds  of  stones,  which 
enabled  both  the  doctor  and  Kennedy,  in  tlieir  turn,  to 
get  out  Thus  the  Victoria  found  herself  balanced,  and 
her  ascensional  force  insutHcient  to  raise  her. 

Moreover,  it  was  not  necessary  to  gather  many  of 
these  stones,  for  the  blocks  were  extremely  heavy,  so  much 
80,  indeed,  that  the  doctor's  attention  was  attracted  by 
the  circumstance.  The  soil,  in  fact,  was  bestrewn  with 
quartz  and  porjihyritic  rocks. 

"  This  is  a  singular  discovery ! "  said  the  doctor,  men- 
tally. 

In  the  mean  while,  Kennedy  and  Joe  had  strolled  awn  7 
a  few  paces,  looking  up  a  proper  spot  for  the  grave.  The 
heat  was  extreme  in  this  ravine,  shut  in  as  it  was  like  a 


186  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOOK. 

sort  of  furnace.     The  noonday  s\in  poured  down  its  rayi 

perpendicularly  into  it. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  clear  the  surface  of 
the  fragments  of  rock  that  encumbered  it,  and  then  a 
quite  deep  grave  had  to  be  dug,  so  that  the  wild  animals 
should  not  be  able  to  disinter  the  corpse. 

The  body  of  the  martyred  missionary  was  then 
solemnly  placed  in  it.  The  earth  was  thrown  in  over 
his  remains,  and  above  it  masses  of  rock  were  deposited, 
in  rude  resemblance  to  a  tomb. 

The  doctor,  however,  remained  motionless,  and  lost  in 
his  reflections.  He  did  not  even  heed  the  call  of  his  com- 
panions, nor  did  he  return  with  them  to  seek  a  shelter 
from  the  heat  of  the  day. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  about,  doctor  ?  "  asked  Ken- 
nedy. 

"  About  a  singular  freak  of  Nature,  a  curious  effect  of 
chance.  Do  you  know,  now,  in  what  kind  of  soil  that 
man  of  self-denial,  that  poor  one  in  spirit,  has  just  beep 
buried?" 

"  No !  what  do  you  mean,  doctor  ?  " 

"  That  priest,  who  took  the  oath  of  perpetual  poverty, 
now  reposes  in  a  gold-mine ! " 

"A  gold-mine  1"  exclaimed  Kennedy  and  Joe  in  one 
breath. 

"  Yes,  a  gold-mine,"  said  the  doctor,  quietly.  "  Those 
blocks  which  you  are  trampling  under  foot,  like  worthless 
stones,  contain  gold-ore  of  great  purity." 

"  Impossible !  impossible ! "  repeated  Joe. 

"  You  would  not  have  to  look  long  among  those 
fissures  of  slaty  schist  without  finding  pepites  of  consider- 
able value." 

Joe  at  once  rushed  like  a  crazy  man  among  the  scat- 
tered fragments,  and  Kennedy  was  not  long  in  following 
his  example. 


A   TAJTIALrZING    POSITION.  ^  187 

"  Keep  cool,  Joe,"  said  his  master. 

"  Why,  doctor,  you  speak  of  the  thing  quite  at  your 
ease." 

"  What  I  a  philosopher  of  your  mettle — " 

"  Ah,  master,  bo  philosophy  holds  good  in  this  case  ! '' 

"  Come !  come !  Let  us  reflect  a  little.  What  good 
would  all  this  wealth  do  you?  We  cannot  carry  any  cf 
it  away  with  us." 

"  We  can't  take  any  of  it  with  us,  indeed  ?  " 

"  It's  rather  too  heavy  for  our  car !  I  even  hesitated 
to  tell  you  any  thing  about  it,  for  fear  of  exciting  your 
regret ! " 

"  ^Vhat ! "  said  Joe,  again,  "  abandon  these  treasures 
— a  fortune  for  us  ! — really  for  us — our  own — leave  it 
behind ! " 

"  Take  care,  my  friend !  Would  you  yield  to  the  thirst 
for  gold  ?  Has  not  this  dead  man  whom  you  have  just 
helped  to  bury,  taught  you  the  vanity  of  human  affairs  ?  " 

"  All  that  is  true,"  replied  Joe,  "  but  gold !  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy, won't  you  help  to  gather  up  a  trifle  of  all  these 
millions  ?  " 

"  What  could  we  do  with  them,  Joe  ?  "  said  the  hunter, 
unable  to  repress  a  smile.  "  We  did  not  come  hither  in 
search  of  fortune,  and  we  cannot  take  one  home  with 
us." 

'*  The  millions  are  rather  heavy,  you  know,"  resumed 
the  doctor,  "  and  cannot  very  easily  be  put  into  one's 
pocket." 

"  But,  at  least,"  said  Joe,  driven  to  his  last  defences, 
"  couldn't  we  take  some  of  that  ore  for  ballast,  instead  of 
sand?" 

"  Very  good !  I  consent,"  said  the  doctor,  "  but  you 
must  not  make  too  many  wry  faces  when  we  come  to 
throw  some  thousands  of  crowns'  worth  overboard." 

"  Thousands  of  crowns  ! "  echoed  Joe ;  "  is  it  possible 


188  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A  BALLOO^. 

that  there  is  so  much  gold  in  them,  and  that  all  this  ii 
the  same  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  friend,  this  is  a  reservoir  in  which  Nature 
has  been  heaping  up  her  wealth  for  centui  ies !  There  is 
enough  here  to  enrich  whole  nations !  An.  Australia  and 
a  California  both  together  in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness  1 " 

"  And  the  whole  of  it  is  to  remain  useless ! " 

"  Perhaps !  but  at  all  events,  here's  what  I'll  do  to 
console  you." 

"  That  would  be  rather  difficult  to  do  1 "  said  Joe,  with 
a  contrite  air. 

"  Listen !  I  will  take  the  exact  bearings  of  this  spot, 
and  give  them  to  you,  so  that,  upon  your  return  to  England, 
you  can  tell  our  countrymen  about  it,  and  let  them  have  a 
share,  if  you  think  that  so  much  gold  would  make  them 
happy." 

"  Ah !  master,  I  give  up ;  I  see  that  you  are  right,  and 
that  there  is  nothing  else  to  be  done.  Let  us  fill  our  cai- 
with  the  precious  mineral,  and  what  remains  at  the  end  of 
the  trip  will  be  so  much  made." 

And  Joe  went  to  work.  He  did  so,  too,  with  all  has 
might,  and  soon  had  collected  more  than  a  thousand  pieces 
of  quartz,  which  contained  gold  enclosed  as  though  in  aii 
extremely  hard  crystal  casket. 

The  doctor  watched  him  with  a  smile ;  and,  while  Joe 
went  on,  he  took  the  bearings,  and  found  that  the  mission- 
ary's grave  lay  in  twenty-^wo  degrees  twenty-three  min- 
utes east  longitude,  and  four  degrees  fifty-five  minutes 
north  latitude. 

Then,  casting  one  glance  at  the  swelling  of  the  soil, 
beneath  which  the  lody  of  the  poor  Frenchman  reposed, 
he  went  back  to  his  car. 

He  would  have  erected  a  plain,  rude  cross  over  the 
tomb,  left  sohtary  thus  in  the  midst  of  the  African  deserts, 
but  not  a  tree  was  to  be  seen  in  the  en\'irons. 


8HORT   OF    WATEK.  181 

"  Grod  will  recognize  it !  "  said  Kennedy. 

An  anxiety  of  another  sort  now  began  to  steal  over 
the  doctor's  mind.  lie  would  have  given  much  of  the 
gold  before  him  for  a  little  water — for  he  had  to  replace 
what  had  been  thrown  overboard  when  the  negro  was 
carried  up  into  the  air.  But  it  was  unpossible  to  find  it 
in  these  arid  regions ;  and  this  reflection  gave  him  great 
uneasiness.  He  had  to  feed  his  cylinder  continually ;  and 
he  even  began  to  find  that  he  had  not  enough  to  quench 
the  thirst  of  his  party.  Therefore  he  determined  to  lose 
no  opportunity  of  replenishing  his  supply. 

Upon  getting  back  to  the  car,  he  found  it  burdened 
with  the  quartz-blocks  that  Joe's  greed  had  heaped  in  it. 
He  got  in,  however,  without  saying  any  thing.  Kennedy 
took  his  customary  place,  and  Joe  followed,  but  not  with- 
out casting  a  covetous  glance  at  the  treasures  in  the 
ravine. 

The  doctor  rekindled  the  light  in  the  cylinder;  the 
spiral  became  heated ;  the  current  of  hydrogen  came  in  a 
few  minutes,  and  the  gas  dilated ;  but  the  balloon  did  not 
stir  an  inch. 

Joe  looked  on  uneasily,  but  kept  silent. 

"  Joe  1 "  said  the  doctor. 

Joe  made  no  reply. 

"  Joe !     Don't  you  hear  me  ?  " 

Joe  made  a  sign  that  he  heard ;  but  he  would  not  un- 
derstand. 

"  Do  me  the  kindness  to  throw  out  some  of  that 
quartz  1 " 

"  But,  doctor,  you  gave  me  leave — " 

"I  gave  you  leave  to  replace  the  ballast;  that  was 
»U1" 

"Butr-" 

"  Do  you  want  to  stay  forever  in  this  desert  ?  " 

Joe  cast  a  despairing  look  at  Kennedy ;  but  the  banter 


190  FIVE   WEEKS   m    A   BALLOON. 

put  on  the  air  of  a  man  who  could  do  nothing  m  the 
matter. 

"Well,  Joe?" 

"Then  your  cylinder  don't  work,"  said  the  obstinate 
fellow. 

"  My  cylinder  ?  It  is  lit,  as  you  perceive.  But  the 
balloon  will  not  rise  until  you  have  thrown  oflf  a  little 
hallast." 

Jo-e  scratched  his  ear,  picked  up  a  piece  of  quartz,  the 
smallest  in  the  lot,  weighed  and  reweighed  it,  and  tossed 
it  up  and  down  in  his  hand.  It  was  a  fragment  of  about 
three  or  four  pounds.    At  last  he  threw  it  out. 

But  the  balloon  did  not  budge. 

"  Humph ! "  said  be ;  "  we're  not  going  up  yet." 

"  Not  yet,"  said  the  doctor.     "  Keep  on  throwing." 

Kennedy  laughed.  Joe  now  threw  out  some  ten  pounds, 
but  the  balloon  stood  still, 

Joe  got  very  pale. 

"  Poor  fellow ! "  said  the  doctor.  "  Mr.  Kennedy,  you 
and  I  weigh,  unless  I  am  mistaken,  about  four  hundred 
pounds — so  that  you'll  have  to  get  rid  of  at  least  that 
weight,  since  it  was  put  in  here  to  make  up  for  us." 

"  Throw  away  four  hundred  pounds ! "  said  Joe,  pit- 
eously. 

"And  some  more  with  it,  or  we  can't  rise.  Come, 
courage,  Joe  1 " 

The  brave  fellow,  heaving  deep  sighs,  began  at  last  to 
lighten  the  balloon ;  but,  from  time  to  time,  he  wcild  stop, 
and  ask : 

"  Are  you  going  up  ?  " 

"  No,  not  yet,"  was  the  invariable  response. 

"It  moves  1 "  said  he,  at  last. 

**  Keep  on ! "  replied  the  doctor. 

"  It's  going  up ;  I'm  sure." 

"  Keep  on  yet,"  said  Kennedy. 


THE   DOCrOE   GIVES   JOE   A.  LESSON.  19J 

And  Joe,  picking  op  one  more  block,  desperately  tossed 
It  out  of  the  car.  The  balloon  rose  a  hundred  feet  or  so, 
and,  aided  by  the  cylinder,  soon  passed  above  the  sur- 
rounding summits. 

"  Now,  Joe,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  there  still  remains 
a  handsome  fortime  for  you ;  and,  if  we  can  only  keep  the 
rest  of  tills  with  us  until  the  end  of  our  trip,  there  you 
are — rich  for  the  balance  of  your  days  1 " 

Joe  made  no  answer,  but  stretched  himself  out  lux- 
uriously on  his  heap  of  quartz. 

"  See,  my  de^'  Dick ! "  the  doctor  went  on,  "  Just  see 
the  power  of  this  metal  over  the  cleverest  lad  in  the  world  I 
What  passions,  what  greed,  what  crimes,  the  knowledge 
of  such  a  mine  as  that  would  cause  I  It  is  sad  to  think 
of  itl'» 

By  evening  the  balloon  had  made  ninety  miles  to  the 
westward,  and  was,  in  a  direct  line,  fourteen  hundred  milei 
from  Zanzibar. 


CnAPTETl   TWEN'TY-FOUIITIL 

rhe  Wind  dies  away.— The  Vicinity  of  the  Desert.— The  Mistake  In  the  Water 
Bnpijly.- The  Nights  of  the  Equator.— Dr.  Ferguson's  Anxieties.- The  Sit- 
uation flatly  stated.— Energetic  Replies  of  Kennedy  and  Joe. — One  Night 
more. 

The  balloon,  ha\nng  been  mada  fast  to  a  solitary  tree, 
almost  completely  dried  up  by  the  aridity  of  the  region 
in  which  it  stood,  passed  the  night  in  perfect  quietness ; 
and  the  travellers  were  enabled  to  enjoy  a  little  of  the 
repose  which  they  so  greatly  needed.  The  emotions  of 
the  day  had  left  sad  impressions  on  their  minds. 

Toward  jioming,  the  sky  had  resumed  its  brilliant 
Jaunty  and  its  heat.  The  balloon  ascended,  and,  after 
several  ineffectual  attempts,  fell  into  a  current  that,  al- 
though not  rapid,  oore  them  toward  the  northwest. 

"  We  are  not  making  progress,"  said  the  doctor.  "  If 
I  am  not  mistaken,  we  have  accomplished  nearly  half  of 
our  journey  in  ten  days ;  but,  at  the  rate  at  which  we  are 
going,  it  would  take  months  to  end  it ;  and  that  is  all  the 
more  vexatious,  that  we  are  threatened  with  a  lack  of 
water." 

"But  we'll  find  some,"  said  Joe.  "It  is  not  to  bo 
thought  of  that  we  sliouldn't  discover  some  river,  some 
stream,  or  pond,  in  all  this  vast  extent  of  country." 

"  I  hope  80." 

"  Now  don't  you  think  that  it's  Joe's  cargo  of  stone 
that  is  keeping  us  back  ?  " 

Kennedy  asked  this  question  only  to  tease  Joe ;  and 


LOW  spiErrs.  193 

he  (fid  80  the  more  willingly  because  he  had^  for  a  moment, 
shared  the  poor  lad's  hallucinations ;  but,  not  finding  any 
thing  in  them,  he  had  fallen  back  into  the  attitude  of  a 
strong-minded  looker-on,  and  turned  the  afiair  off  with  a 
laugh. 

Joe  cast  a  mournful  glance  at  him;  but  the  doctor 
made  no  reply.  He  was  thinking,  not  ^vithout  secret  ter- 
ror, probably,  of  the  vast  solitudes  of  Sahara — for  there 
whole  weeks  sometimes  pass  without  the  caravans  meet- 
ing with  a  single  spring  of  water.  Occupied  with  these 
thoughts,  he  scrutinized  every  depression  of  the  soil  with 
the  closest  attention. 

These  anxieties,  and  the  incidisnts  recently  occurring, 
had  not  been  without  their  effect  upon  the  spirits  of  our 
three  travellers.  They  conversed  less,  and  were  more 
wrapt  in  their  own  thoughts. 

Joe,  clever  lad  as  he  was,  seemed  no  longer  the  sarao 
person  since  his  gaze  had  plunged  into  that  ocean  of  gold. 
He  kept  entirely  silent,  and  gazed  incessantly  upon  the 
stony  fragments  heaped  up  in  the  car — worthless  to-day, 
but  of  inestimable  value  to-morrow. 

The  appearance  of  this  part  of  Africa  was,  moreover, 
quite  calculated  to  inspire  alarm:  the  desert  was  grad- 
ually expanding  around  them;  not  another  \411age  was 
to  be  seen — not  even  a  collection  of  a  few  huts ;  and 
vegetation  also  was  disappearing.  Barely  a  few  dwai-f 
plants  could  now  be  noticed,  like  those  on  the  wild  heaths 
of  Scotland ;  then  came  the  first  tract  of  grayish  sand  and 
flint,  with  here  and  there  a  lentisk  tree  and  brambles. 
In  the  midst  of  this  sterility,  therudimental  carcass  of  the 
Globe  appeared  in  ridges  of  sharply-jutting  rock.  These 
symptoms  of  a  totally  dry  and  barren  region  greatly  dis- 
quieted Dr.  Ferguson. 

It  seemed  as  though  no  caravan  had  ever  braved  tliis 
desert  expanse,  or  it  would  have  left  visible  traces  of  it« 


194  FIVE   "VrEEKS    m   A   BALLOON. 

encampments,  or  the  whitened  bones  of  men  and  animals. 
But  nothing  of  the  kind  was  to  be  seen,  and  the  aeronauts 
felt  that,  ere  long,  an  immensity  of  sand  would  cover  the 
whole  of  this  desolate  region. 

However,  there  was  no  going  back ;  they  must  go  for- 
ward ;  and,  indeed,  the  doctor  asked  for  nothing  better  j 
he  would  even  have  welcomed  a  tempest  to  carry  him  be- 
yond this  country.  But,  there  was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky 
At  the  close  of  the  day,  the  balloon  had  not  made  thirty 
miles. 

If  there  had  been  no  lack  of  water!  But,  there  re- 
-raained  only  three  gallons  in  all !  The  doctor  put  aside 
one  gallon,  destined  to  quench  the  burning  thirst  that  a 
heat  of  ninety  degrees  rendered  intolerable.  Two  gallons 
only  then  remained  to  supply  the  cylinder.  Hence,  they 
could  produce  no  more  than  four  hundred  and  eighty  cubic 
feet  of  gas ;  yet  the  cylinder  consumed  about  nine  cubic 
feet  per  hour.  Consequently,  they  could  not  keep  on 
longer  than  fifty-four  hours — and  all  this  was  a  mathemat- 
ical calculation ! 

"  Fifty-four  hours ! "  said  the  doctor  to  his  companions. 
"  Therefore,  as  I  am  determined  not  to  travel  by  night,  for 
fear  of  passing  some  stream  or  pool,  we  have  but  three 
days  and  a  half  of  journeying  during  which  we  must  find 
water,  at  all  hazards.  I  have  thought  it  my  duty  to  make 
you  aware  of  the  real  state  of  the  case,  as  I  have  retained 
only  one  gallon  for  drinking,  and  we  shall  have  to  put  our- 
Belves  on  the  shortest  allowance." 

"  Put  us  on  short  allowance,  then,  doctor,"  responded 
Kennedy,  "  but  we  must  not  despair.  We  have  three  days 
left,  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  dear  Dick  I " 

"  Well,  as  grieving  over  the  matter  won't  help  ns,  in 
three  days  there  will  be  time  enough  to  decide  upon  what 
18  to  be  done  ;  in  the  meanwhile,  let  us  redouble  our 
vigilance  1 " 


NO   SIGN   OF   WATER.  195 

At  their  evening  meal,  the  water  was  strictly  measured 
out,  and  the  brandy  was  increased  in  quantity  in  the  pimch 
they  drank.  But  they  had  to  be  careful  with  the  spirits, 
the  latter  being  more  likely  to  produce  than  to  quench 
thirst. 

The  car  rested,  during  the  night,  upon  an  immense 
plateau,  in  which  there  was  a  deep  hollow;  its  height  waa 
scarcely  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
This  circumstance  gave  the  doctor  some  hope,  since  it  re- 
called to  his  mind  the  conjectures  of  geographers  concern- 
ing the  existence  of  a  vast  stretch  of  water  in  the  centre 
of  Africa.  But,  if  such  a  lake  really  existed,  the  point  was 
to  reach  it,  and  not  a  sign  of  change  was  visible  in  the 
motionless  sky. 

To  the  tranquil  night  and  its  starry  magnificence  suc- 
ceeded the  unchanging  daylight  and  the  blazing  rays  of 
the  sun  ;  and,  from  the  earliest  dawn,  the  temperature  be- 
came scorching.  At  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  doc- 
tor gave  the  signal  for  departure,  and,  for  a  consider- 
able time,  the  balloon  remained  immovable  in  the  leaden 
atmosphere. 

The  doctor  might  have  escaped  this  intense  heat  bj 
rising  into  a  higher  range,  but,  in  order  to  do  so,  he  would 
have  had  to  consume  a  large  quantity  of  water,  a  thing 
tliat  had  now  become  impossible.  He  contented  himself 
therefore,  with  keeping  the  balloon  at  one  hundred  feet 
from  the  ground,  and,  at  that  elevation,  a  feeble  current 
drove  it  toward  the  western  horizon. 

The  breakfast  consisted  of  a  little  dried  meat  and  pem 
mican.  By  noon,  the  Victoria  had  advanced  only  a  fe^ 
mUes. 

"  We  cannot  go  any  faster,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  we  no 
longer  command — we  have  to  obey." 

"  Ah !  doctor,  here  is  one  of  those  occasions  when  a 
propeller  woild  not  be  a  thing  to  be  despised." 


196  nvB  WKSKS  nr  a  ballooh. 

"  Undoubtedly  bo,  Pick,  provided  it  would  not  require 
an  expenditure  of  water  to  put  it  in  motion,  for,  in  that 
case,  the  situation  would  be  precisely  the  same ;  moreover, 
up  to  this  time,  nothing  practical  of  the  sort  has  been  in- 
vented. Balloons  are  still  at  that  point  where  ships  were 
before  the  invention  of  steam.  It  took  six  thousand  years 
to  invent  propellers  and  screws ;  bo  we  have  time  enough 
yet." 

"Confounded  heat!"  said  Joe,  wiping  away  the  per-' 
spiration  that  was  streaming  from  his  forehead. 

"  If  we  had  water,  this  heat  would  be  of  sei'vice  to  us, 
for  it  dilates  the  hydrogen  in  the  balloon,  and  diminishes 
the  amount  required  in  the  spiral,  although  it  is  true  that, 
if  we  were  not,  short  of  the  useful  liquid,  we  should  not 
have  to  economize  it.  Ah  !  that  rascally  savage  who  cost 
us  the  tank  1 "  * 

"  You  don't  regret,  though,  what  you  did,  doctor  ?  " 

"  No,  Dick,  since  it  was  in  our  power  to  save  that  un- 
fortunate missionary  from  a  horrible  death.  But,  the  hun- 
dred pounds  of  water  that  we  threw  overboard  would  be 
very  useful  to  us  now ;  it  would  be  thiileen  or  fourteen 
days  more  of  progress  secured,  or  quite  enough  to  carry 
us  over  this  desert." 

"We've  made  at  least  half  the  journey,  haven't  we?' 
Bsked  Joe. 

"  In  distance,  yes  ;  but  in  duration,  no,  should  the  wind 
leave  us ;  and  it,  even  now,  has  a  tendency  to  die  away 
altogether." 

"  Come,  sir,"  said  Joe,  again  "  we  must  not  complain 
we've  got  along  pretty  well,  thus  far,  and  whatever  hap- 
pens to  me,  I  can't  get  desperate.      "We'll  find  water; 
mind,  I  tell  you  so." 

rhe  soil,  however,  ran  lower  from  mile  to  mile ;  the 

*  The  water  tank  lid  been  thown  overboard  when  the  mUve  clang 
to  thecsr. 


THE    DESERT.  197 

tmdulations  of  the  gold  -bearing  mountains  they  had  left 
died  away  into  the  plain,  like  the  last  throes  of  exhausted 
Nature.  Scanty  grass  took  the  place  of  the  fine  trees  of 
the  east ;  only  a  few  belts  of  half-scorched  herbage  still 
contended  against  the  invasion  of  the  sand,  and  the  huge 
rocks,  that  had  rolled  down  from  the  distant  summits, 
crashed  in  their  fall,  had  scattered  in  sharp-edged  pebbles 
which  soon  again  became  coarse  sand,  and  finally  impal- 
pable dust. 

"  Here,  at  last,  is  Africa,  such  as  you  pictured  it  to 
yourself,  Joe  1  Was  I  not  right  in  saying,  '  Wait  a 
Uttle?'  eh?" 

"  Well,  master,  it's  all  natural,  at  least — heat  and  dust. 
It  would  be  foolish  to  look  for  any  thing  else  in  such  a 
country.  Do  you  see,"  he  added,  laughing,  "I  had  no 
confidence,  for  my  part,  in  your  forests  and  your  prairies  ; 
they  were  out  of  reason.  What  was  the  use  of  coming 
80  far  to  find  scenery  just  like  England  ?  Here's  the  first 
time  that  I  believe  in  Africa,  and  I'm  not  sorry  to  get  a 
taste  of  it." 

Toward  evening,  the  doctor  calculated  that  the  balloon 
had  not  made  twenty  miles  during  that  whole  burning  day, 
and  a  heated  gloom  closed  in  upon  it,  as  soon  as  the  sun 
had  disappeared  behind  the  horizon,  which  was  traced 
against  the  sky  with  all  the  precision  of  a  straight  line. 

The  next  day  was  Thursday,  the  1st  of  May,  but  the 
days  followed  each  other  with  desperate  monotony.  Each 
morning  was  like  the  one  that  had  preceded  it ;  noon 
poured  down  the  same  exhaustless  rays,  and  night  con- 
densed in  its  shadow  the  scattered  heat  which  the  ensuing 
day  would  again  bequeath  to  the  succeeding  night.  The 
wind,  now  scarcely  observable,  was  rather  a  gasp  than  a 
breath,  and  the  morning  could  almost  be  foreseen  when 
even  that  gasp  would  cease. 

Tlie  doctor  reacted  against  the  gloominess  of  the  sitn- 


k 


198  FIVE   WEEKS    IX    A   BALLOOH. 

ation  and  retained  all  the  coolness  and  self-possession  of  a 
iisciplined  heart.  With  his  glass  he  scrutinized  every 
piarter  of  the  horizon ;  he  saw  the  last  rising  grouna 
gradually  melting  to  the  dead  level,  and  the  last  vegeta- 
tion disappearing,  while,  before  him,  stretched  the  immen- 
sity of  the  desert. 

The  responsibility  resting  upon  him  pressed  sorely,  but 
he  did  not  allow  his  disquiet  to  appear.  Those  two  men, 
Dick  and  Joe,  friends  of  his,  both  of  them,  he  had  induced 
to  come  with  him  almost  by  the  fore?  alone  of  friendship 
and  of  duty.  Had  he  done  well  in  that  ?  Was  it  not  like 
attempting  to  tread  forbidden  paths?  Was  he  not,  in 
this  trip,  trying  to  pass  the  borders  of  the  impossible  ? 
Had  not  the  Almighty  reserved  for  later  ages  the  knowl- 
edge of  this  inhospitable  continent  ? 

All  these  thoughts,  of  the  kind  that  arise  in  hours  of 
discouragement,  succeeded  each  other  and  multiplied  in 
his  mind,  and,  by  an  irresistible  association  of  ideas,  the 
doctor  allowed  himself  to  be  carried  beyond  the  bounds 
of  logic  and  of  reason.  After  having  established  in  his 
own  mind  what  he  should  not  have  done,  the  next  ques- 
tion was,  what  he  should  do,  then.  Would  it  be  impossible 
to  retrace  his  steps  ?  Were  there  not  currents  higher  up 
that  would  waft  him  to  less  arid  regions  ?  Well  informed 
with  regard  to  the  countries  over  which  he  had  passed,  he 
was  utterly  ignorant  of  those  to  come,  and  thus  his  con- 
Bcience  speaking  aloud  to  him,  he  resolved,  in  his  turn,  to 
speak  frankly  to  his  two  companions.  He  thereupon 
laid  the  whole  state  of  the  case  plainly  before  them ;  he 
showed  them  what  had  been  done,  and  what  there  was 
yet  to  do ;  at  the  worst,  they  could  return,  or  attempt  it,  at 
least. — What  did  they  think  about  it  ? 

"  I  have  no  other  opinion  than  that  of  my  excellent 
master,"  said  Joe ;  "  what  he  may  have  to  suflfer,  I  can 
suffer,  and  that  better  than  he  can,  perhaps.  Wliere  he 
goes,  ihere  Pll  go  1 " 


rULL   OONFIDENOB   OF  DICK   IN   THE   DOOTOB.         199 

"  And  you,  Kennedy  ?  " 

"  I,  doctor,  I'm  not  the  man  to  despair ;  no  one  was 
/ess  ignorant  than  I  of  the  perils  of  the  enterprise,  but  I 
did  not  want  to  see  them,  from  the  moment  that  you  de- 
termined to  brave  them.  Under  present  circumstances, 
my  opinion  is,  that  we  should  persevere — go  clear  to  the 
end.  Besides,  to  return  looks  to  me  quite  as  perilous  as 
the  other  course.  So  onward,  then  1  you  may  count  upon 
usl" 

"Thanks,  my  gallant  friends!"  replied  the  doctor, 
with  much  real  feeling,  "  I  expected  such  devotion  as  this ; 
but  I  needed  these  encouraging  words.  Yet,  once  again, 
thank  you,  fi-om  the  bottom  of  my  heart ! " 

And,  with  this,  the  three  friends  warmly  grasped  each 
other  by  the  hand. 

"  Now,  hear  me  I "  said  the  doctor.  "  According  to 
my  solar  observations,  we  are  not  more  than  three  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  ;  the  desert,  therefore, 
cannot  extend  indefinitely,  since  the  coast  is  inhabited,  and 
the  country  has  been  explored  for  some  distance  back  into 
the  interior.  K  needs  be,  we  can  direct  our  course  to  that 
quarter,  and  it  seems  out  of  the  question  that  we  should 
not  come  across  some  oasis,  or  some  well,  where  we  could 
replenish  our  stock  of  water.  But,  what  we  want  now,  is 
the  wind,  for  without  it  we  are  held  here  suspended  in  the 
air  at  a  dead  calm. 

"  Let  us  wait  with  resignation,"  said  the  hunter. 

But,  each  of  the  party,  in  his  turn,  vainly  scanned  tlie 
space  around  him  during  that  long  wearisome  day.  Noth- 
ing could  be  seen  to  form  the  basis  of  a  hope.  The  very 
last  inequalities  of  the  soil  disappeared  witli  the  setting 
Bun,  whose  horizontal  rays  stretched  in  long  lines  of  fire 
over  the  flat  immensity.     It  was  the  Desert  I 

Our  aSronauts  had  scarcely  gone  a  distance  of  fifteen 
miles,  having  expended,  as  or  the  preceding  day,  one 


200  rrvTB  weeks  us  a  BiLLLoow. 

hundred  and  thirty-five  cubic  feet  of  gas  to  feed  the 
cylinder,  and  two  plats  of  water  out  of  the  remaining 
eight  had  been  sacrificed  to  the  demands  of  intense  thirst. 
The  night  passed  quietly — too  quietly,  indeed,  but  the 
ioctor  did  not  sleep ! 


CHAPTER    TWENTY-FIBTH. 

&  Little  FhlloBophy.— A  Clond  on  the  Ilorizon.— In  the  Midst  of  a  Fog.— Th« 
Stranj^e  Balloon.— An  Exact  View  of  the  Victoria.— The  Palm-Trecs.— Tract* 
of  &  Caravan.- The  Well  in  the  Midsi  of  the  Desert. 

Ox  the  morrow,  there  was  the  same  purity  of  sky,  the 
same  stillness  of  the  atmosphere.  The  balloon  rose  to  an 
elevation  of  five  hmidred  feet,  but  it  had  scarcely  changed 
its  position  to  the  westward  in  any  perceptible  degree. 

"  We  are  right  in  the  open  desert,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  Look  at  that  vast  reach  of  sand  !  What  a  strange  spec- 
tacle I  What  a  singular  arrangement  of  nature  !  Why 
should  there  be,  in  one  place,  such  extreme  luxuriance  of 
vegetation  yonder,  and  here,  this  extreme  aridity,  and 
that  in  the  same  latitude,  and  under  the  same  rays  of  the 
Bun  ?  " 

"  The  why  concerns  me  but  little,"  answered  Kennedy, 
"  the  reason  interests  me  less  than  the  fact.  The  thing  is 
so ;  that's  the  important  part  of  it  1 " 

"  Oh,  it  is  well  to  philosophize  a  little,  Dick ;  it  does 
no  harm." 

"  Let  us  philosophize,  then,  if  you  will ;  we  have  time 
enough  before  us;  we  are  hardly  moving;  the  wind  is 
afraid  to  blow ;  it  sleeps." 

"  Tliat  will  not  last  forever,"  put  in  Joe ;  "  I  think  I 
see  some  banks  of  clouds  in  the  east." 

"  Joe's  right  1 "  said  the  doctor,  after  he  had  taken  a 
look. 


202  FTTE   WEEKS   IN    A   BALLOON. 

"  Good  ! "  said  Keanedy ;  "  now  for  our  clouds,  with  a 
fiue  rain,  and  a  fresh  wind  to  dash  it  into  our  faces  1 " 

"  Well,  we'll  see,  Dick,  we'll  see !  " 

"But  this  is  Friday,  master,  and  I'm  airaid  of  Fri- 
days ! " 

"  Well,  I  hope  that  this  very  day  you'll  get  over  those 
notions." 

"  I  hope  so,  master,  too.  Whew ! "  he  added,  mop- 
ping his  face,  "heat's  a  good  thing,  especially  in  winter, 
but  in  summer  it  don't  do  to  take  too  much  of  it." 

"  Don't  you  fear  the  effect  of  the  sun's  heat  on  our 
balloon  ?  "  asked  Kennedy,  addressing  the  doctor. 

"  No !  the  gutta-percha  coating  resists  much  higher 
temperatures  than  even  this.  With  my  spiral  I  have  suV 
jected  it  inside  to  as  much  as  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight 
degrees  sometimes,  and  the  covering  does  not  appear  to 
have  suffered." 

"  A  cloud !  a  real  cloud ! "  shouted  Joe  at  this  mo- 
ment, for  that  piercing  eyesight  of  his  beat  all  the  glasses. 

And,  in  fact,  a  thick  bank  of  vapor,  now  quite  dis- 
tinct, could  be  seen  slowly  emerging  above  the  horizon. 
It  appeared  to  be  very  deep,  and,  as  it  were,  puffed  out. 
It  was,  in  reality,  a  conglomeration  of  smaller  clouds. 
The  latter  invariably  retained  their  original  formation, 
and  from  this  circumstance  the  doctor  concluded  that 
there  was  no  current  of  air  in  their  collected  mass. 

This  compact  body  of  vapor  had  appeared  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and,  by  eleven,  it  had  already 
reached  the  height  of  the  sun's  disk.  The  latter  then  dis- 
appeared entirely  behind  the  murky  veil,  and  the  lower 
belt  of  cloud,  at  the  same  moment,  lifted  above  the  line 
of  the  horizon,  which  was  again  disclosed  in  a  full  blaze 
of  daylight. 

"It's  only  an  isolated  cloud,"  remarked  the  doctor 
'*It  won't  do  to  count  much  upon  that." 


i 


"It  Is  only  the  effect  of  a  mirage,"  says  the  Doctor,  "  and  nothing  etae." 


THE   MIRAOE.  203 

"  Look,  Dick,  its  shape  is  just  the  same  as  when  we 
saw  it  this  morning  ! " 

"  Then,  doctor,  there's  to  be  neither  rain  nor  wind,  at 
least  for  us  I  " 

"  I  fear  so ;  the  cloud  keeps  at  a  great  height." 

"  Well,  doctor,  suppose  we  were  to  go  in  pursuit  of 
this  (iloud,  since  it  refuses  to  burst  upon  us  ?  " 

"  I  fancy  that  to  do  so  wouldn't  help  us  much ;  it 
would  be  a  consumption  of  gas,  and,  consequently,  of 
water,  to  little  pui-pose ;  but,  in  our  situation,  we  must 
not  leave  anything  untried ;  therefore,  let  us  ascend  ! " 

And  with  this,  the  doctor  put  on  a  full  head  of  flame 
from  the  cylinder,  and  the  dilation  of  the  hydrogen,  occa- 
sioned by  such  sudden  and  intense  heat,  sent  the  balloon 
rapidly  aloft. 

Abouv  liftuen  hundred  feet  from  the  ground,  it  en- 
countered an  opaque  mass  of  cloud,  and  entered  a  dense 
fog,  suspended  at  that  elevation ;  but  it  did  not  meet  with 
the  least  breath  of  wind.  This  fog  seemed  even  destitute 
of  humidity,  and  the  articles  brought  in  contact  with  it 
were  scarcely  dampened  in  the  slightest  degree.  The 
balloon,  completely  enveloped  in  the  vapor,  gained  a  little 
mcrease  of  speed,  perhaps,  and  that  was  alL 

The  doctor  gloomily  recognized  what  trifling  success 
ne  had  obtained  from  his  mana?uvTe,  and  was  relapsing 
into  deep  meditation,  when  he  heard  Joe  exclaim,  in  tones 
of  most  intense  astonishment : 

"  Ah  I  by  all  that's  beautiful  1 " 

"What's  the  matter,  Joe?" 

"  Doctor  1  Mr.  Kennedy  1   Here's  something  curious  1 " 

"  What  is  it,  then  ?  " 

"  We  are  not  alone,  up  here  1  There  are  rogues  abont  I 
They've  stolen  our  invention !  " 

"  Has  he  gone  crazy  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

Joe  stood  there,  perfectly  motionless,  the  very  piotor* 
of  amazement.  s 


204  FIVE  WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOOH. 

"  Can  the  hot  sun  have  really  affected  the  poor  fel- 
low's brain?"  said  the  doctor,  turning  toward  him, 

"WiU  you  tell  me?—" 

"  Look  1 "  said  Joe,  pointing  to  a  certain  quarter  of 
ihe  sky. 

"  By  St.  James ! "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  in  turn,  "  why, 
who  would  have  believed  it  ?     Look,  look !  doctor ! " 

"  I  see  it  I "  said  the  doctor,  very  quietly. 

"  Another  balloon  I  and  other  passengers,  like  our- 
selves I " 

And,  sure  enough,  there  was  another  balloon  about 
two  hundred  paces  from  them,  floating  in  the  air  with  its 
car  and  its  aeronauts.  It  was  following  exactly  the  same 
route  as  the  Ylctoria. 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  nothing  remains  for  us  but 
to  make  signals  ;  take  the  flag,  Kennedy,  and  show  them 
our  colors." 

It  seemed  that  the  travellers  by  the  other  balloon 
had  just  the  same  idea,  at  the  same  moment,  for  the  same 
kind  of  flag  repeated  precisely  the  same  salute  with  a 
hand  that  moved  in  just  the  same  manner. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Tliey  are  apes,"  said  Joe,  "  imitating  us." 

"  It  means,"  said  the  doctor,  laughing,  "  that  it  is  you, 
Dick,  yourself,  making  that  signal  to  yourself ;  or,  in  other 
words,  that  we  see  ourselves  in  the  second  balloon,  which 
is  no  other  than  the  Yictoria.'''* 

"  As  to  that,  master,  with  all  respect  to  you,"  said  Joe, 
"  you'll  never  make  me  believe  it." 

"  Climb  up  on  the  edge  of  the  car,  Joe ;  wave  your 
arms,  and  then  you'll  see." 

Joe  obeyed,  and  all  his  gestures  were  instantaneously 
amd  exactly  repeated. 

"  It  is  merely  the  effect  of  the  mirage^'*  said  the  doctor 
"  and  nothing  else — a  simple  optica    phenomenon  due  to 


DIBAPPOINTMKNT  205 

the  unequal  refraction  of  light  by  different  layers  of  the 
atmosphere,  and  that  is  alL" 

"It's  wonderful,"  said  Joe,  who  could  not  make  np 
his  mind  to  surrender,  but  went  on  repeating  his  gesticula- 
tions. 

"  What  a  curious  sight  I  Do  you  know,"  said  Ken- 
nedy, "tliat  it's  a  real  pleasure  to  have  a  view  of  our 
noble  balloon  in  that  style  ?  She's  a  beauty,  isn't  she  ?— 
and  how  stately  her  movement  as  she  sweeps  along  1 " 

"  You  may  explain  the  matter  as  you  like,"  continued 
Joe,  "  it's  a  strange  thing,  anyhow  ! " 

But  ere  long  this  picture  began  to  fade  away;  the 
clouds  rose  higher,  leaving  the  balloon,  which  made  no 
further  attempt  to  follow  them,  and  ^n  about  an  hour 
they  disappeared  in  the  open  sky. 

The  wind,  which  had  been  scarcely  perceptible,  seemed 
still  to  diminish,  and  the  doctor  in  perfect  desperation 
descended  toward  the  ground,  an^  all  three  of  the  travel- 
lers, whom  the  incident  just  recorded  had,  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, diverted  from  their  anxieties,  relapsed  into  gloomy 
meditation,  sweltering  the  while  beneath  the  scorching 
heat. 

About  four  o'clock,  Joe  descried  some  object  standing 
out  against  the  vast  background  of  sand,  and  soon  was 
able  to  declare  positively  that  there  were  two  palm-trees 
at  no  great  distance. 

"  Palm-trees  !  "  exclaimed  Ferguson ;  "  why  then 
there's  a  spring — a  well ! " 

He  took  up  his  glass  and  satisfied  himself  that  Joe's 
eyes  had  not  been  mistaken. 

"  At  length  ! "  he  said,  over  and  over  again,  "  water  ! 
water  1  and  we  are  saved ;  for  if  we  do  move  slowly,  p*ill 
we  move,  and  we  shall  arrive  at  last ! " 

"  Good,  master !  but  suppose  we  were  to  drink  a  moutb 
fill  in  the  mean  time,  for  this  air  is  stifling  ?  " 


206  FIVE   WEEKS    IN   A   BALLOON. 

"  Let  US  drink  then,  my  boy  !  " 

No  one  waited  to  be  coaxed.  A  whole  pint  was  swal 
lowed  then  and  there,  reducing  the  total  remaining  supply 
to  three  pints  and  a  half. 

"  Ah  !  that  does  one  good  I  "  said  Joe ;  "  wasn't  it 
fine  ?  Barclay  and  Perkins  never  turned  out  ale  equal  to 
that  I " 

"  See  the  advantage  of  being  put  on  short  allowance  I " 
moralized  the  doctor. 

"  It  is  not  great,  after  all,"  retorted  Kennedy ;  "  and  ii 
I  were  never  again  to  have  the  pleasure  of  drinking  water, 
I  should  agree  on  condition  that  I  should  never  be  de- 
prived of  it." 

At  six  o'clock  the  balloon  was  floating  over  the  palm- 
trees. 

They  were  two  shrivelled,  stunted,  dried-up  specimens 
of  trees — two  ghosts  of  palms — without  foliage,  and  more 
dead  than  alive.  Ferguson  examined  them  with  ter- 
ror. 

At  their  feet  could  be  seen  the  half-worn  stones  of  a 
spring,  but  these  stones,  pulverized  by  the  baking  heat 
of  the  sun,  seemed  to  be  nothing  now  but  impalpable  dust. 
There  was  not  the  slightest  sign  of  moisture.  The  doctor's 
eart  shrank  within  him,  and  he  was  about  to  communi- 
cate his  thoughts  to  his  companions,  when  their  exclama- 
tions attracted  his  attention.  As  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  to  the  eastward,  extended  a  long  line  of  whitened 
bones ;  pieces  of  skeletons  surroimded  the  fountain  ;  a  cara- 
van had  evidently  made  its  way  to  that  point,  marking  its 
progress  by  its  bleaching  remains ;  the  weaker  had  fallen 
one  by  one  upon  the  sand ;  the  stronger,  having  at  length 
reached  this  spring  fhr  which  they  panted,  had  there  found 
a  horrible  death. 

Our  travellers  looked  at  each  other  and  turned  pale. 

"  Let  us  not  alight  1 "  said  Kennedy,  "  let  us  fliy  from 


THE   DEIED-UP   SPEINO.  207 

this  hideous  spectacle  1  There's  not  a  drop  of  water 
here ! " 

"  No,  Dick,  as  well  pass  the  night  here  as  elsewhere  • 
let  us  have  a  clear  conscience  in  the  matter.  We'll  <lig 
down  to  the  very  bottom  of  the  well.  There  has  been  a 
spring  here,  and  perhaps  there's  something  left  in  it ! " 

The  Victoria  touched  the  ground ;  Joe  and  Kennedy 
put  into  the  car  a  quantity  of  sand  equal  to  their  weight, 
and  leaped  out.  They  then  hastened  to  the  well,  and 
penetrated  to  the  interior  by  a  flight  of  steps  that  was  now 
nothing  but  dust.  The  spring  appeared  to  have  been  dry 
for  years.  They  dug  down  into  a  parched  and  powdery 
sand — the  very  dryest  of  all  sand,  indeed — there  was  not 
one  trace  of  moisture  ! 

The  doctor  saw  them  come  up  to  the  surface  of  the 
desert,  saturated  Avith  perspiration,  worn  out,  covered  with 
fine  dust,  exhausted,  discouraged  and  despairing. 

He  then  comprehended  that  their  search  had  been 
fruitless.  He  had  expected  as  much,  and  he  kept  silent, 
for  he  felt  that,  from  this  moment  forth,  he  must  have 
courage  and  energy  enough  for  three. 

Joe  brought  up  with  him  some  pieces  of  a  leathern 
bottle  that  had  grown  hard  and  horn-like  wdth  age,  and 
angrily  flung  them  away  among  the  bleaching  bones  of 
the  caravan. 

At  supper,  not  a  word  was  spoken  by  our  travellers, 
and  they  even  ate  without  appetite.  Yet  they  had  not, 
up  to  this  moment,  endured  the  real  agonies  of  thirst,  and 
were  in  no  desponding  mood,  excepting  for  the  future. 


•• 


CnAPTER  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

Dne  Hundred  and  Thirteen  Degrees.— The  Doctor's  Reflections.— A  Deepemtt 
Search.— The  Cylinder  goes  out.— One  Hundred  and  Twenty-two  Degrees.— 
Contemplation  of  the«  Desert.— A  Night  Walk.— Solitude.— Debility.— Joe's 
ProspectB.— He  gives  himself  One  Day  more. 

The  distance  made  by  the  balloon  during  the  preced- 
ing day  did  not  exceed  ten  miles,  and,  to  keep  it  afloat, 
one  hundred  and  sixty-two  cubic  feet  of  gas  had  been 
consumed. 

On  Saturday  morning  the  doctor  again  gave  the  signal 
for  departure. 

"  The  cylinder  can  work  only  six  hours  longer ;  and, 
if  in  that  time  we  shall  not  have  found  either  a  well  or  a 
spring  of  water,  God  alone  knows  what  will  become  of 
us!" 

"  Not  much  wind  this  morning,  master,"  said  Joe ;  "  but 
it  will  come  up,  perhaps,"  he  added,  suddenly  remarking 
the  doctor's  ill-concealed  depression. 

Vain  hope  1  The  atmosphere  was  in  a  dead  calm — one 
of  those  calms  which  hold  vessels  captive  in  tropical  seas. 
The  heat  had  become  intolerable ;  and  the  thermometer, 
in  the  shade  under  the  awnmg,  indicated  one  hundred 
and  thirteen  degrees. 

Joe  and  Kennedy,  reclining  at  full  length  near  each 
other,  tried,  if  not  in  slumber,  at  least  in  torpor,  to  forget 
their  situation,  for  their  forced  inactivity  gave  them 
periods  of  leisure  far  from  pleasant.  That  man  is  to  be 
pitied  the  most  who  cannot  wean  himself  from  gloomy 


GLOOMY   MEDITATIONB.  209 

reflections  by  actual  work,  or  some  practical  pursuit.  But 
here  there  was  nothing  to  look  after,  nothing  to  under- 
take, and  they  had  to  submit  to  the  situation,  without 
having  it  in  their  power  to  ameliorate  it. 

The  pangs  of  thirst  began  to  be  severely  felt ;  brandy, 
far  from  appeasing  this  imperious  necessity,  augmented 
it,  and  richly  merited  the  name  of  "  tiger's  milk  "  applied 
to  it  by  the  African  natives.  Scarcely  two  pints  of  water 
remained,  and  that  was  heated.  Each  of  the  party  de- 
voured the  few  precious  di'ops  with  his  gaze,  yet  neither 
of  them  dared  to  moisten  his  lips  with  them.  Two  pints 
of  water  in  the  midst  of  the  desert ! 

Then  it  was  that  Dr.  Ferguson,  buried  in  meditation, 
asked  himself  whether  he  had  acted  with  prudence. 
Would  he  not  have  done  better  to  have  kept  the  water 
that  he  had  decomposed  in  pure  loss,  in  order  to  sustain 
him  in  the  air  ?  He  had  gained  a  little  distance,  to  be 
sure ;  but  was  he  any  nearer  to  his  journey's  end  ?  What 
difference  did  sixty  miles  to  the  rear  make  in  this  region, 
when  there  was  no  water  to  be  had  where  they  were? 
The  wind,  should  it  rise,  would  blow  there  as  it  did  here, 
only  less  strongly  at  this  point,  if  it  came  from  the  east. 
But  hope  urged  him  onward.  And  yet  those  two  gallons 
of  water,  expended  in  vain,  would  have  sufficed  for  nin 
days'  halt  in  the  desert.  And  what  changes  miglit  not 
have  occurred  in  nine  days !  Perhaps,  too,  while  retain- 
ing the  water,  he  might  have  ascended  by  throwing  out 
ballast,  at  the  cost  merely  of  discharging  some  gas,  when 
he  had  again  to  descend.  But  the  gas  in  his  balloon  was 
his  blood,  his  very  life  I 

A  thousand  and  one  such  reflections  whirled  in  succes- 
sion through  his  brain ;  and,  resting  his  head  between  his 
hands,  he  sat  there  for  hours  without  raising  it. 

"TVe  must  make  one  final  effort,"  he  said,  at  last, 
about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.     "  We  must  endeavor^ 


21C  TTVH  WEEKS  m  A  BALLOOW. 

just  once  more,  to  find  an  atmospheric  current  to  beat  ai 
away  from  here,  and,  to  that  end,  must  risk  our  last 
resources." 

Therefore,  while  his  companions  slept,  the  doctor  raised 
the  hydrogen  in  the  balloon  to  an  elevated  temperature, 
and  the  huge  globe,  filling  out  by  the  dilation  of  the  gas, 
rose  straight  up  in  the  perpendicular  rays  of  the  sun. 
The  doctor  searched  vainly  for  a  breath  of  wind,  from  tht- 
height  of  one  hundred  feet  to  that  of  five  miles ;  his  startr 
ing-point  remained  fatally  right  below  him,  and  absolute 
calm  seemed  to  reign,  up  to  the  extreme  lunits  of  the 
breathing  atmosphere. 

At  length  the  feeding-supply  of  water  gave  out;  the 
cylinder  was  extinguished  for  lack  of  gas ;  the  Buntzen 
battery  ceased  to  work,  and  the  balloon,  shrinking  to- 
gether, gently  descended  to  the  sand,  in  the  very  place 
that  the  car  had  hollowed  out  there. 

It  was  noon;  and  solar  obsei-vations  gave  nineteen 
degrees  thirty-five  minutes  east  longitude,  and  six  degrees 
fifty-one  minutes  north  latitude,  or  nearly  five  hundred 
miles  from  Lake  Tchad,  and  more  than  four  hundred  miles 
from  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 

On  the  balloon  taking  ground,  Kennedy  and  Joe  awoke 
from  their  stupor. 

"  We  have  halted,"  said  the  Scot. 
"  We  had  to  do  so,"  replied  the  doctor,  gravely, 
nis   companions  understood  him.      The  level  of  the 
soil  at  that  point  corresponded  with  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and,  consequently,  the  balloon  remained  in  perfect  equi- 
librium, and  absolutely  motionless. 

The  weight  of  the  three  travellers  was  replaced  with 
an  equivalent  quantity  of  sand,  and  they  got  out  of  the 
car.  Each  was  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts;  and  for 
many  hours  neither  of  them  spoke.  Joe  prepared  their 
evening  meal,   which  consisted  of  biscuit  and  penmiican, 


SUFFERraO   FROM   THIB3T.  211 

and  was  hardly  tasted  by  either  of  the  pfirty.  A  mouth 
ful  of  scalding  water  from  their  little  store  cowpieted  thii 
gloomy  repast. 

During  the  night  none  of  them  kept  f.T/£,ke ;  yet  none 
could  be  precisely  said  to  have  slept.  On  the  morrow 
there  remained  only  half  a  pint  of  water,  and  this  the  doc- 
tor put  away,  all  three  having  resolved  not  to  touch  it 
until  the  last  extremity. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  Joe  exclaimed : 

"  I'm  choking,  and  the  heat  ifi  getting  worse !  I'm 
not  surprised  at  that,  tl\ongh,"  he  added,  consulting  the 
thermometer ;  "  one  hundred  and  forty  degrees  1 " 

"  The  sand  scorches  me,"  said  the  hunter,  "  as  thoiigh 
it  had  just  come  out  of  a  furnace ;  and  not  a  cloud  in  this 
sky  of  lire.     It's  enough  to  drive  one  mad  !  " 

"  Let  us  not  despair,"  responded  the  doctor.  "  In  this 
latitude  these  intense  heats  are  invariably  followed  by 
storms,  and  the  latter  come  with  the  suddenness  of  light- 
ning. Notwithstanding  this  disheartening  clearness  of 
the  sky,  great  atmospheric  changes  may  take  place  in  less 
than  an  hour." 

"  But,"  asked  Kennedy,  "  is  there  any  sign  whatever 
of  that?" 

"  Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  I  think  that  there  is 
some  slight  symptom  of  a  fall  in  the  barometer." 

"  May  Heaven  hearken  to  you,  Samuel !  for  here  we  are 
pinned  to  the  ground,  like  a  bird  with  broken  wings." 

"With  this  difference,  however,  my  dear  Dick,  that 
our  wings  are  unhurt,  and  I  hope  that  we  shall  be  able  to 
use  them  again." 

"  Ah  !  wind  I  wind  ! "  exclaimed  Joe  ;  "  enough  to 
carry  us  to  a  stream  or  a  well,  and  we'll  be  all  right. 
We  have  provisions  enough,  and,  with  water,  we  could 
wait  a  month  without  suffering ;  but  thirst  is  a  crue? 
thing  I" 


212  FITB  WEE£S   IN  A  BAXLOON. 

It  was  not  thirst  alone,  but  the  unchanging  sight  of  the 
desert,  that  fatigued  the  mind.  There  was  not  a  variation 
in  the  sarface  of  the  soil,  not  a  hillock  of  sand,  not  a 
pebble,  to  relieve  the  gaze.  This  unbroken  level  discour- 
aged the  beholder,  and  gave  him  that  kind  of  malady 
called  the  "desert-sickness."  The  impassible  monotony 
of  the  arid  blue  sky,  and  the  vast  yellow  expanse  of  the 
desert-sand,  at  length  produced  a  sensation  of  terror.  In 
this  inflamed  atmosphere  the  heat  appeared  to  vibrate 
as  it  does  above  a  blazing  hearth,  while  the  mind  grew 
desperate  in  contemplating  the  limitless  calm,  and  could 
see  no  reason  why  the  thmg  should  ever  end,  since  im- 
mensity is  a  species  of  eternity. 

Thus,  at  last,  our  hapless  travellers,  deprived  of  water 
in  this  torrid  heat,  began  to  feel  symptoms  of  mental  dis- 
order. Their  eyes  swelled  in  their  sockets,  and  their  gaze 
became  confused. 

When  night  came  on,  the  doctor  determined  to  com- 
bat this  alarming  tendency  by  rapid  walking.  His  idea 
was  to  pace  the  sandy  plain  for  a  few  hours,  not  in  search 
of  any  thing,  but  simply  for  exercise. 

"  Come  along ! "  he  said  to  his  companions ;  "  believe 
me,  it  will  do  you  good." 

"  Out  of  the  question ! "  said  Kennedy ;  "  I  could  not 
walk  a  step." 

"  And  I,"  said  Joe,  "  would  rather  sleep ! " 

"  But  sleep,  or  even  rest,  would  be  dangerous  to  you, 
my  friends;  you  must  react  against  this  tendency  to 
stupor.     Come  with  me!" 

But  the  doctor  could  do  nothing  with  them,  and,  there- 
fore, set  off  alone,  amid  the  starry  clearness  of  the  night. 
The  first  few  steps  be  took  were  painful,  for  they  were 
the  steps  of  an  enfeebled  man  quite  out  of  practice  in 
walking.  However,  lie  quickly  saw  that  the  exercise 
vould  be  beneficial  to  him,  and  pushed  on  several  milea 


THE  DOCTOR   BWOOlfS.  213 

to  the  -westward.  Once  in  rapid  motion,  he  felt  his  spirits 
greaily  cheered,  when,  suddenly,  a  vertigo  came  over  him ; 
he  seemed  to  be  poised  on  the  edge  of  an  abyss ;  his  knees 
bent  imder  him;  the  vast  solitude  struck  terror  to  his 
heart;  he  found  himself  the  minute  mathematical  point, 
the  centre  of  an  infinite  circumference,  that  is  to  say — a 
nothing!  The  balloon  had  disappeared  entirely  in  the 
deepening  gloom.  The  doctor,  cool,  impassible,  reckless 
explorer  that  he  was,  felt  himself  at  last  seized  with  a 
nameless  dread.  He  strove  to  retrace  his  steps,  but  in 
vain.  He  called  aloud.  Not  even  an  echo  replied,  and 
his  voice  died  out  in  the  empty  vastness  of  surrounding 
space,  like  a  pebble  cast  into  a  bottomless  gulf;  then, 
down  he  sank,  fainting,  on  the  sand,  alone,  amid  the  eter- 
nal silence  of  the  desert. 

At  midnight  he  came  to,  in  the  arms  of  his  faithful 
follower,  Joe.  The  latter,  uneasy  at  his  master's  pro- 
longed absence,  had  set  out  after  him,  easily  tracing  him 
by  the  clear  imprint  of  his  feet  in  the  sand,  and  had  found 
him  lying  in  a  swoon. 

"  What  has  been  the  matter,  sir  ?  "  was  the  first  inquiry. 

"  Nothing,  Joe,  nothing !  Only  a  touch  of  weakness, 
ihat's  all.     It's  over  now." 

"  Oh !  it  won't  amount  to  any  thing,  sir,  I'm  sure  of 
Chat ;  but  get  up  on  your  feet,  if  you  can.  There  I  lean 
upon  me,  and  let  us  get  back  to  the  balloon." 

And  the  doctor,  leaning  on  Joe's  arm,  returned  along 
the  track  by  which  he  had  come. 

"You  were  too  bold,  sir;  it  won't  do  to  run  such 
risks.  You  might  have  been  robbed,"  he  added,  laugh- 
ing.    "  But,  sir,  come  now,  let  us  talk  seriously." 

"  Speak !     I  am  listening  to  you." 

"  We  must  positively  make  up  our  minds  to  do  some- 
thing.  Our  present  situation  cannot  last  more  than  a  few 
days  longer,  and  ii  we  get  no  wind,  we  are  lost." 


214  FIVB   WEEKS    m   A   BALLOON. 

The  doctor  made  no  reply. 

"  Well,  then,  one  of  us  must  sacrifice  himself  for  the 
good  of  all,  and  it  is  most  natural  that  it  should  fall  to  me 
to  do  so." 

"  What  have  you  to  propose  ?    WTiat  is  your  plan  ?  " 

"  A  very  simple  one  1  It  is  to  take  provisions  enough, 
and  to  walk  right  on  until  I  come  to  some  place,  as  I  must 
do,  sooner  or  later.  In  the  mean  time,  if  Heaven  sends 
you  a  good  wind,  you  need  not  wait,  but  can  start  again. 
For  my  part,  if  I  come  to  a  village,  I'll  work  my  way 
through  with  a  few  Arabic  words  that  you  can  write  for 
me  on  a  slip  of  paper,  and  I'll  bring  you  help  or  lose  my 
hide.     WTiat  do  you  think  of  my  plan  ?  " 

"  It  is  absolute  folly,  Joe,  but  worthy  of  your  noble 
heart.     The  thing  is  impossible.     You  will  not  leave  us." 

"  But,  sir,  we  must  do  something,  and  this  plan  can't 
do  you  any  harm,  for,  I  say  again,  you  need  not  wait ; 
and  then,  after  all,  I  may  succeed." 

"  No,  Joe,  no !  We  will  not  separate.  That  would 
only  be  adding  sorrow  to  trouble.  It  was  written  that 
matters  should  be  as  they  are ;  and  it  is  very  probably 
written  that  it  shall  be  quite  otherwise  by-and-by.  Let 
us  wait,  then,  with  resignation." 

"  So  be  it,  master ;  but  take  notice  of  one  thing :  1 
give  you  a  day  longer,  and  I'll  not  wait  after  that.  To- 
day is  Sunday  •,  we  might  say  Monday,  as  it  is  one  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  if  we  don't  get  off  by  Tuesday,  I'll 
run  the  risk.     I've  made  up  my  mind  to  that !  " 

The  doctor  made  no  answer,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they 
got  back  to  the  car,  where  he  took  his  place  beside  Ken- 
neily,  who  lay  there  plunged  in  silence  60  complete  that 
it  could  not  be  considered  sleep. 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

rerrlllc  Heat.— Ilallncinatlons.— The  Last  Drops  of  Water.— Nights  of  Despak 
An  Attempt  at  Suicide. — The  Simoom.— The  Oasis.— The  Lion  and  LioneeB. 

The  doctor's  first  care,  on  the  morrow,  was  to  consult 
the  barometer.  He  found  that  the  mercury  had  scarcely 
undergone  any  perceptible  depression. 

"  Nothing  ! "  he  murmered,  "  nothing ! " 

He  got  out  of  the  car  and  scrutinized  the  weather; 
there  was  only  the  same  heat,  the  same  cloudless  sky,  the 
same  merciless  drought. 

"  Must  we,  then,  give  up  to  despair  ?  "  he  exclaimed, 
in  agony. 

Joe  did  not  open  his  lips.  He  was  buned  in  his  own 
thoughts,  and  planning  the  expedition  he  had  proposed. 

Kennedy  got  up,  feeling  very  ill,  and  a  prey  to  nervous 
agitation.  He  was  suffering  horribly  with  thirst,  and  hia 
swullen  tongue  and  lips  could  hardly  articulate  a  syllable. 

There  still  remained  a  few  drops  of  water.  Each  of 
them  knew  this,  and  each  was  thinking  of  it,  and  felt  him- 
self drawn  toward  them ;  but  neither  of  the  three  dared 
to  take  a  step. 

Those  throe  men,  friends  and  companions  as  they  were, 
fixed  their  haggard  eyes  upon  each  other  with  an  instinct 
of  ferocious  longing,  which  was  most  plainly  revealed  in 
the  hardy  Scot,  whose  vigorous  constitution  yielded  the 
soonest  to  these  unnatural  privations. 

Throughout  the  day  he  was  delirious,  pacing  up  and 
10  X 


216  FIVB   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

down,  uttering  hoarse  cries,  gnawing  his  clinched  fists, 
and  ready  to  open  his  veins  and  drink  his  own  hot  blood. 

"  Ah  1 "  he  cried,  "  land  of  thii'st  1  Well  might  you  be 
called  the  land  of  despair  1 " 

At  length  he  sank  doA;vTi  in  utter  prostration,  and  hia 
friends  heard  no  other  sound  from  him  than  the  hissing  of 
his  breath  between  his  parched  and  swollen  lips. 

Toward  evening,  Joe  had  his  turn  of  delirium.  The 
vast  expanse  of  sand  appeared  to  him  an  immense  pond, 
full  of  clear  and  limpid  water ;  and,  more  than  once,  he 
dashed  himself  upon  the  scorching  waste  to  drink  long 
draughts,  and  rose  again  with  his  mouth  clogged  with  hot 
dust. 

"  Curses  on  it ! "  he  yelled,  in  his  madness,  "  it's  noth- 
ing but  salt  water  ! " 

Then,  while  Ferguson  and  Kennedy  lay  there  motion- 
less, the  resistless  longing  came  over  him  to  drain  the  last 
few  drops  of  water  that  had  been  kept  in  reserve.  The 
natural  instinct  proved  too  strong.  He  dragged  himself 
toward  the  car,  on  his  knees  ;  he  glared  at  the  bottle  con- 
taining the  precious  fluid ;  he  gave  one  wild,  eager  glance, 
seized  the  treasured  store,  and  bore  it  to  his  lips. 

At  that  instant  he  heard  a  heart-rending  cry  close 
beside  him — "  Water !  water ! " 

It  was  Kennedy,  who  had  crawled  up  close  to  him,  and 
was  begging  there,  upon  his  knees,  and  weeping  piteously. 

Joe,  himself  in  tears,  gave  the  poor  wretch  the  bottle, 
and  Kennedy  drained  the  last  drop  with  savage  haste. 

"  Thanks ! "  he  murmured  hoarsely,  but  Joe  did  not 
hear  him,  for  both  alike  had  dropped  fainting  on  the  sand. 

What  took  place  during  that  fearful  night  neither  of 
them  knew,  but,  on  Tuesday  morning,  under  those  show- 
ers of  heat  which  the  sun  poured  down  upon  them,  the 
unfortunate  men  felt  their  limbs  gradually  drying  up,  and 
when  Joe  attempted  to  rise  he  found  it  impossible. 


DESPEEATION.  211 

He  looked  around  him.  In  the  car,  the  doctor,  com- 
pletely overwhelmed,  sat  with  his  arms  folded  on  his 
breast,  gazing  with  idiotic  fixedness  upon  some  imaginary 
point  in  space.  Kennedy  was  frightful  to  behold.  He 
was  rolling  his  head  from  right  to  left  like  a  wild  beast  in 
a  cage. 

All  at  once,  his  eyes  rested  on  the  butt  of  his  rifle, 
which  jutted  above  the  rim  of  the  car. 

"  Ah ! "  he  screamed,  raising  himself  with  a  superhu- 
man effort. 

Desperate,  mad,  he  snatched  at  the  weapon,  and  turned 
the  barrel  toward  his  mouth. 

"  Kennedy  ! "  shouted  Joe,  throwing  himself  upon  his 
friend. 

"  Let  go  !  hands  off!"  moaned  the  Scot,  in  a  hoarse, 
grating  voice — and  then  the  two  struggled  desperately  for 
the  rifle. 

"  Let  go,  or  I'll  kill  you ! "  repeated  Kennedy.  But 
Joe  clung  to  him  only  the  more  fiercely,  and  they  had 
been  contending  thus  without  the  doctor  seeing  them  for 
many  seconds,  when,  suddenly  the  rifle  went  off  At  the 
sound  of  its  discharge,  the  doctor  rose  up  erect,  like  a 
spectre,  and  glared  around  him. 

But  all  at  once  his  glance  grew  more  animated ;  he  ex- 
tended his  hand  toward  the  horizon,  and  in  a  voice  no 
longer  human  shrieked: 

"  There !  there— off  there ! " 

There  was  such  fearful  force  in  the  cry  that  Kennedy 
and  Joe  released  each  other,  and  both  looked  where  the 
doctor  pointed. 

The  plain  was  agitated  like  the  sea  shaken  by  the  fury 
of  a  tempest ;  billows  of  sand  went  tossing  over  each  other 
amid  blinding  clouds  of  dust ;  an  immense  pillar  was  seen 
whirling  toward  them  through  the  air  from  the  southeast, 
with  terrific  velocity ;  the  sun  was  disappearing  behind  an 


218  rrvB  weeks  m  a  ballooh. 

opaque  veil  of  cloud  whose  enfinnous  barrier  extended 
clear  to  the  horizon,  while  the  grains  of  fine  sand  went 
gliding  together  with  all  the  supple  ease  of  liquid  parti- 
cles, and  the  rising  dust-tide  gained  more  and  more  with 
every  second. 

Ferguson's  eyes  gleamed  with  a  ray  of  energetic  hope. 

"  The  simoom ! "  he  exclaimed, 

"  The  simoom ! "  repeated  Joe,  without  exactly  know- 
ing what  it  meant. 

"  So  much  the  better ! "  said  Kennedy,  with  the  bitter 
ness  of  despair.     "  So  much  the  better — we  shall  die  ! " 

"  So  much  the  better ! "  echoed  the  doctor,  "  for  we 
shall  live  ! "  and,  so  saying,  he  began  rapidly  to  throw  out 
the  sand  that  encumbered  the  car. 

At  length  his  companions  understood  him,  and  took 
their  places  at  his  side. 

"And  now,  Joe,"  said  the  doctor,  "throw  out  some 
fifty  pounds  of  your  ore,  tliere  ! " 

Joe  no  longer  hesitated,  although  he  still  felt  a  fleeting 
pang  of  regret.     The  balloon  at  once  began  to  ascend. 

"  It  was  high  time ! "  said  the  doctor. 

The  simoom,  in  fact,  came  rushing  on  like  a  thunder- 
bolt, and  a  moment  later  the  balloon  would  have  been 
crushed,  torn  to  atoms,  annihilated.  The  awful  whirlwind 
was  almost  upon  it,  and  it  was  already  pelted  with  show- 
ers of  sand  driven  like  hail  by  the  storm. 

"  Out  with  more  ballast ! "  shouted  the  doctor. 

"  There ! "  responded  Joe,  tossing  over  a  huge  fragment 
of  quartz. 

With  this,  the  Victoria  rose  swiftly  above  the  range 
of  the  whirling  column,  but,  caught  in  the  vast  displace- 
ment of  the  at:nosi»here  thereby  occasioned,  it  was  bornt 
along  with  incalculable  rapidity  away  above  this  foaming 
tea. 

The  three  travellers  did  not  speak.     They  gazed,  and 


THE  OASIS.  219 

koped,  and  even  felt  refreshed  by  the  breath  of  the  tern 
pest. 

About  three  o*clock,  the  whirlwind  ceased ;  the  sand, 
tailing  again  upon  the  desert,  formed  numberless  little  hil- 
locks, and  the  sky  resumed  its  former  tranquillity. 

The  balloon,  which  had  again  lost  its  momentum,  was 
floating  in  sight  of  an  oasis,  a  sort  of  islet  studded  witl; 
green  trees,  thrown  up  upon  the  surface  of  this  sand) 
ocean. 

"  Water !  we'll  find  water  there  ! "  said  the  doctor. 

And,  instantly,  opening  the  upper  valve,  he  let  some 
hydrogen  escape,  and  slowly  descended,  taking  the  ground 
at  about  two  hundred  feet  from  the  edge  of  the  oasis. 

In  four  hours  the  travellers  had  swept  over  a  distance 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  ! 

The  car  was  at  once  ballasted,  and  Kennedy,  closely 
followed  by  Joe,  leaped  out. 

"  Take  your  gims  with  you ! "  said  the  doctor ;  "  take 
your  guns,  and  be  careful !  " 

Dick  grasjied  his  rifle,  and  Joe  took  one  of  the  fowling- 
pieces.  They  then  rapidly  made  for  the  trees,  and  disap- 
peared under  the  fresh  verdure,  which  announced  the 
presence  of  abundant  springs.  As  they  hurried  on,  they 
had  not  taken  notice  of  certain  large  footprints  and  fresh 
tracks  of  some  living  creature  marked  here  and  there  in 
the  damp  soiL 

Suddenly,  a  dull  roar  was  heard  not  twenty  paces  from 
them, 

"  The  roar  of  a  lion  1 "  said  Joe. 

"  Good  for  that  1 "  said  the  excited  hunter ;  "  we'll 
fight  him.  A  man  feels  strong  when  only  a  fight's  in 
question." 

"  But  be  careful,  Mr.  Kennedy ;  be  careful  1  The  lives 
of  all  depend  upon  the  life  of  one." 

But  Kennedy  no  longer  heard  him;  he  was  pushing 


220  FIVB   WEEKS    IN    A    BALLOON. 

on,  his  eye  blazing  ;  his  rifle  cocked ;  fearful  to  behold  in 
his  daring  rashness.  There,  under  a  palm-tree,  stood  an 
enormous  black-maned  lion,  crouching  for  a  spring  on  his 
antagonist.  Scarcely  had  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
hunter,  when  he  bounded  through  the  air ;  but  he  had  not 
touched  the  ground  ere  a  bullet  pierced  his  heart,  and  he 
fell  to  the  earth  dead. 

"  Hurra  I  hurra  ! "  shouted  Joe,  with  wild  exulta- 
tion. 

Kennedy  rushed  toward  the  well,  slid  down  the  damp 
ened  steps,  and  flung  himself  at  full  length  by  the  side  of 
a  fresh  spring,  in  which  he  plunged  his  parched  lips.  Joe 
followed  suit,  and  for  some  minutes  nothing  was  heard  but 
the  sound  they  made  with  their  mouths,  drinking  more 
like  maddened  beasts  than  men. 

"  Take  care,  Mr.  Kennedy,"  said  Joe  at  last ;  "  let  us 
not  overdo  the  thing  ! "  and  he  panted  for  breath. 

But  Kennedy,  without  a  word,  drank  on.  He  even 
plunged  his  hands,  and  then  his  head,  into  the  delicious 
tide — he  fairly  revelled  in  its  coolness. 

"  But  the  doctor  ? "  said  Joe  ;  "  our  friend.  Dr.  Fer- 
guson ?  " 

That  one  word  recalled  Kennedy  to  himself,  and,  hastily 
filling  a  flask  that  he  had  brought  with  him,  he  started  on 
a  run  up  the  steps  of  the  well. 

But  what  was  his  amazement  when  he  saw  an  opaque 
body  of  enormous  dimensions  blocking  up  the  passage ! 
Joe,  who  was  close  upon  Kennedy's  heels,  recoiled  with 
him. 

"  "We  are  blocked  in — entrapped ! " 

"  Impossible  !     What  does  that  mean  ? — " 

Dick  had  no  time  to  finish ;  a  terrific  roar  made  him 
only  too  quickly  aware  what  foe  confrorted  him. 

"  Another  lion ! "  exclaimed  Joe. 

"A  lioness,  rather,"  said  Kennedy.     "Ah!   ferocioos 


FIGHT   Wn"H    A    LIONESS.  221 

brute ! "  he  added,  "  I'll  settle  you  in  a  moment  more  1 " 
and  swiftly  reloaded  his  ride. 

In  another  instant  he  fired,  but  the  animal  had  disap- 
peaied. 

"  Onward  I "  shouted  Kennedy. 

"  No ! "  interposed  the  other,  "  that  shot  did  not  kill 
her ;  her  body  would  have  rolled  down  the  steps ;  she's 
up  there,  ready  to  spring  upon  the  first  of  us  who  appears, 
and  he  would  be  a  lost  man  I " 

"  But  what  are  we  to  do  ?  We  must  get  out  of  this, 
and  the  doctor  is  expecting  us." 

"  Let  us  decoy  the  animal.  Take  my  piece,  and  give 
me  your  rifle." 

"  What  is  your  plan  ?  " 

"You'll  see." 

And  Joe,  taking  off  his  linen  jacket,  hung  it  on  the  end 
of  the  rifle,  and  thrust  it  above  the  top  of  the  steps.  The 
lioness  flung  herself  furiously  upon  it.  Kennedy  was  on 
the  alert  for  her,  and  his  bullet  broke  her  shoulder.  The 
lioness,  with  a  frightful  howl  of  agony,  rolled  down  the 
steps,  overturning  Joe  in  her  fall.  The  poor  fellow  ima- 
gined that  he  could  already  feel  the  enormous  paws  of  the 
savage  beast  in  his  flesh,  when  a  second  detonation  re- 
sounded in  the  narrow  passage,  and  Dr.  Ferguson  appeared 
at  the  opening  above  with  his  gun  in  hand,  and  still  smok 
ing  from  the  discharge. 

Joe  leaped  to  his  feet,  clambered  over  the  body  of  the 
dead  lioness,  and  handed  up  the  flask  full  of  sparkling 
water  to  his  master. 

To  carry  it  to  his  lips,  and  to  half  empty  it  at  a  draught, 
was  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  the  three  travellers  offered 
up  thanks  from  the  depths  of  their  hearts  to  that  Provi- 
''^nce  who  had  so  miraculously  saved  them. 


CHAPl^R    TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

AS  Erenlns:  of  Delight. — Joe's  Culinary  Performances. — A  Dissertation  on  R«» 
Meat.— The  Narrative  of  James  Bruce. — Camping  out. — Joe's  Dreams. — The 
Barometer  begins  to  fall.— The  Barometer  rises  again. — Preparations  for 
Departure.— The  Tempest 

The  evening  was  lovely,  and  our  three  friends  enjoyed 
it  in  the  cool  shade  of  the  mimosas,  after  a  substantial  re- 
past, at  which  the  tea  and  the  punch  were  dealt  out  with 
no  niggardly  hand. 

Kennedy  had  traversed  the  little  domain  in  all  direc- 
tions. He  had  ransacked  every  thicket  and  satisfied  him- 
Belf  that  the  balloon  party  were  the  only  living  creatures 
in  this  terrestrial  paradise  ;  so  they  stretched  tliemsclves 
upon  their  blankets  and  passed  a  peaceful  niL;,ht  that 
brought  them  forgetfulness  of  their  past  sufierings. 

On  the  morrow.  May  7th,  the  sun  shone  with  all  his 
splendor,  but  his  rays  could  not  penetrate  the  dense  screen 
of  the  palm-tree  foliage,  and  as  there  was  no  lack  of  pro- 
visions, the  doctor  resolved  to  remain  where  he  was  while 
waiting  for  a  favorable  wind- 
Joe  had  conveyed  his  portable  kitchen  to  the  oasis,  and 
proceeded  to  indulge  in  any  number  of  culinary  combina- 
tions, using  water  all  the  time  with  the  most  profuse  ex- 
travagance. 

"  ^Vhat  a  strange  succession  of  annoyances  and  enjoy- 
ments I "  moralized  Kennedy.  "  Such  abundance  as  this 
after  such  privations ;  such  luxury  after  such  want  I  Ah  J 
I  nearly  went  mad  I  *' 


PHILOSOPHIZING.  223 

"  My  dear  Dick,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  had  it  not  been 
for  Joe,  you  would  not  be  sitting  here,  to-day,  discoui'sing 
on  the  instability  of  human  affairs." 

"  Whole-hearted  friend  I "  said  Kennedy,  extending 
his  hand  to  Joe. 

"  There's  no  occasion  for  all  that,"  responded  the  latter; 
"  but  you  can  take  your  revenge  some  time,  Mr.  Kennedy, 
always  hoping  though  that  you  may  never  have  occasion 
to  do  the  same  for  me  I " 

"  It's  a  poor  constitution  this  of  ours  to  succumb  to  so 
little,"  philosophized  Dr.  Ferguson. 

"  So  little  water,  you  mean,  doctor,"  interposed  Joe : 
"  that  element  must  be  very  necessary  to  Ufe." 

"  Undoubtedly,  and  persons  deprived  of  food  hold  out 
longer  than  those  deprived  of  water." 

"  I  believe  it.  Besides,  when  need*  must,  one  can  eat 
any  thing  he  comes  across,  even  his  fellow-creatures,  al- 
though that  must  be  a  kind  of  food  that's  pretty  hard  to 
digest." 

"  The  savages  don't  boggle  much  about  it  1 "  said 
Kennedy. 

"  Yes ;  but  then  they  are  savages,  and  accustomed  to 
devouring  raw  meat;  its  something  that  I'd  find  very 
disgusting,  for  my  part." 

"  It  is  disgusting  enough,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that's  a 
fact ;  and  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  nobody  believed  the 
narratives  of  the  earliest  travellers  in  Africa  who  brought 
back  word  that  many  tribes  on  that  continent  subsisted 
upon  raw  meat,  and  people  generally  refused  to  credit  the 
statement.  It  was  under  such  circumstances  that  a  very 
singular  adventure  befell  .Tames  Bruca" 

"  Tell  it  to  us,  doctor ;  we've  time  enough  to  hear  it," 
said  Joe,  stretching  himself  voluptuously  on  the  cool 
greensward. 

"  By  all  means. — James  Bruce  was  a  Scotchman,  of 


224  FTVH   •WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

StirlingshLre,  who,  between  1768  and  1772,  traversed  nJ 
Abyssinia,  as  far  as  Lake  Tyana,  in  search  of  the  sources 
of  the  Nile.  He  afterward  returned  to  England,  but  diil 
not  publish  an  account  of  his  journeys  until  1790.  His 
statements  were  received  with  extreme  incredulity,  and 
such  may  be  the  reception  accorded  to  our  own.  Th* 
manners  and  customs  of  the  Abyssinians  seemed  so  diiFer- 
ent  from  those  of  the  English,  that  no  one  would  credit  the 
description  of  them.  Among  other  details,  Bruce  had  put 
forward  the  assertion  that  the  tribes  of  Eastern  Africa  fed 
upon  raw  flesh,  and  this  set  everybody  against  him.  He 
might  say  so  as  much  as  he  pleased ;  there  was  no  one 
likely  to  go  and  see !  One  day,  in  a  parlor  at  Edinburgh, 
a  Scotch  gentleman  took  up  the  subject  in  his  presence,  as 
it  had  become  the  topic  of  daily  pleasantry,  and,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  eating  of  raw  flesh,  said  that  the  thing  was 
neither  possible  nor  true.  Bruce  made  no  reply,  but  went 
out  and  returned  a  few  minutes  later  with  a  raw  steak, 
seasoned  with  pepper  and  salt,  in  the  African  style, 

" '  Sir,'  said  he  to  the  Scotchman,  '  in  doubting  my 
statements,  you  have  grossly  afironted  me ;  in  believing 
the  thing  to  be  impossible,  you  have  been  egregiously 
mistaken ;  and,  in  proof  thereof,  you  will  now  eat  this  beef- 
steak raw,  or  you  will  give  me  instant  satisfaction  I  * 
The  Scotchman  had  a  wholesome  dread  of  the  brawny 
traveller,  and  did  eat  the  steak,  although  not  without  a 
good  many  wry  faces.  Thereupon,  with  the  utmost  cool- 
ness, James  Bruce  added :  '  Even  admitting,  sir,  that  the 
thing  were  untrue,  you  will,  at  least,  no  longer  maintain 
that  it  is  impossible.' " 

"Well  put  in!"  said  Joe,  "and  if  the  Scotchman 
found  it  lie  heavy  on  his  stomach,  he  got  no  more  than  he 
deserved.  If,  on  our  return  to  England,  they  dare  to 
doubt  what  we  say  about  our  travels — " 

**  Well,  Joe,  what  would  you  do  ?  " 


**  Why,  ril  make  the  doubters  swallow  the  pieces  of 
the  balloon,  without  either  salt  or  pepper  ! " 

All  burst  out  laughing  at  Joe's  queer  notions,  and  thus 
the  day  slipped  by  in  pleasant  chat.  With  returning 
strength,  hope  had  revived,  and  with  hope  came  the  cour- 
age to  do  and  to  dare.  The  past  was  obliterated  in  the 
presence  of  the  future  with  providential  rapidity. 

Joe  would  have  been  willing  to  remain  forever  in  this 
enchanting  asylum ;  it  was  the  realm  he  had  pictured  in 
his  dreams ;  he  felt  himself  at  home ;  his  master  had  to 
give  him  his  exact  location,  and  it  was  with  the  gravest 
air  imaginable  that  he  wrote  down  on  his  tablets  fifteen 
degrees  forty-three  minutes  east  longitude,  and  eight  de- 
grees thirty-two  minutes  north  latitude. 

Kennedy  had  but  one  regret,  to  wit,  that  he  could  not 
hunt  in  that  miniature  forest,  because,  according  to  his 
ideas,  there  was  a  slight  deficiency  of  ferocious  wild  beasts 
in  it. 

"  But,  my  dear  Dick,"  said  the  doctor,  "  haven't  you 
rather  a  short  memory  ?  How  about  the  lion  and  the 
lioness  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that ! "  he  ejaculated  Avith  the  contempt  of  a 
thorough-bred  sportsman  for  game  already  killed.  "  But 
the  fact  is,  that  finding  them  here  would  lead  one  to  sup- 
pose that  we  can't  be  far  from  a  more  fertile  country." 

"  It  don't  prove  much,  Dick,  for  those  animals,  when 
goaded  by  hunger  or  thirst,  will  travel  long  distances,  and 
I  think  that,  to-night,  we  had  better  keep  a  more  vigilant 
lookout,  and  light  fires,  besides." 

"  What,  in  such  heat  as  this  ?  "  said  Joe.  "  Well,  if 
it's  necessary,  we'll  have  to  do  it,  but  I  do  think  it  a  real 
pity  to  burn  this  pretty  grove  that  has  been  such  a  com- 
fort to  us  !  " 

"  Oh  1  above  all  things,  we  must  take  the  utmost  care 
oot  to  set  it  on  fire,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  so  that  other* 


in  the  same  strait  as  ourselves  may  some  day  find  sheltei 
here  in  the  middle  of  the  desert." 

"  I'll  be  very  careful,  indeed,  doctor ;  but  do  you  think 
that  this  oasis  is  known  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly ;  it  is  a  halting-place  for  the  caravani 
that  frequent  the  centre  of  Africa,  and  a  visit  from  one 
of  them  might  be  any  thing  but  pleasant  to  you, 
Joe." 

"  Why,  are  there  any  more  of  those  rascally  Nyam- 
Nyams  around  here  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  that  is  the  general  name  of  all  the  neigh- 
boring tribes,  and,  under  the  same  climates,  the  same 
races  are  likely  to  have  similar  manners  and  customs." 

"  Pah ! "  said  Joe,  "  but,  after  all,  it's  natural  enough. 
If  savages  had  the  ways  of  gentlemen,  where  would  be  the 
difference  ?  By  George,  these  fine  fellows  wouldn't  have 
to  be  coaxed  long  to  eat  the  Scotchman's  raw  steak,  nor 
the  Scotchman  either,  into  the  bargain ! " 

With  this  very  sensible  observation,  Joe  began  to  get 
ready  his  firewood  for  the  night,  making  just  as  little  of 
it  as  possible.  Fortunately,  these  precautions  were  super- 
fluous ;  and  each  of  the  party,  in  his  turn,  dropped  off  into 
the  soundest  slumber. 

On  the  next  day  the  weather  still  showed  no  sign  of 
change,  but  kept  provokingly  and  obstinately  fair.  The 
balloon  remained  motionless,  without  any  oscillation  to 
betray  a  breath  of  wind. 

The  doctor  began  to  get  uneasy  again.  K  their  stay 
in  the  desert  were  to  be  prolonged  like  this,  their  provi- 
sions would  give  out.  After  nearly  perishing  for  want  of 
water,  they  would,  at  last,  have  to  starve  to  death  I 

But  he  took  fresh  courage  as  he  saw  the  mercury  fall 
considerably  in  the  barometer,  and  noticed  evident  signs 
of  an  early  change  in  the  atmosphere.  He  therefore  re- 
solved to  make  all  his  preparations  for  a  start,  so  as  to 


JOE   HAS   TO   THKOW    A.WA1    MOEB    QUAET2.  227 

avail  himself  of  the  first  opportunity.  The  feediag-tank 
and  the  water-tank  were  both  completely  filled. 

Then  he  had  to  reestablish  the  equilibrium  of  the  bal- 
loon, and  Joe  was  obliged  to  part  with  another  consider- 
able portion  of  his  precious  quartz.  With  restored  health, 
his  ambitious  notions  had  come  back  to  him,  and  he  made 
more  than  one  wry  face  before  obeying  his  master ;  but 
the  latter  convinced  him  that  he  could  not  carry  so  con- 
siderable a  weight  with  him  through  the  air,  and  gave 
hun  his  choice  between  the  water  and  th^  gold.  Joe 
hesitated  no  longer,  but  flung  out  the  requisite  quantity 
of  his  much-prized  ore  upon  the  sand. 

"  The  next  people  who  come  this  way,"  he  remarked. 
"wiU  be  rather  surprised  to  find  a  fortune  in  such  a 
place," 

"And  suppose  some  learned  traveller  should  come 
across  these  specimens,  eh  ?  "  suggested  Kennedy. 

"  You  may  be  certain,  Dick,  that  they  would  take  him 
by  surprise,  and  that  he  would  publish  his  astonishment 
in  several  folios ;  so  that  some  day  we  shall  hear  of  a  won- 
derful deposit  of  gold-bearing  quartz  in  the  midst  of  the 
African  sands ! " 

"  And  Joe  there,  wiL  oe  trie  cause  of  it  all  1 " 

This  idea  of  mystifying  some  learned  sage  tickled  Joe 
hugely,  and  made  him  laugh. 

During  the  rest  of  the  day  the  doctor  vainly  kept  on 
the  watch  for  a  change  of  weather.  The  temperature  rose, 
and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  shade  of  the  oasis,  would  have 
been  insupportable.  The  thermometer  marked  a  himdred 
and  forty-nine  degrees  in  the  sun,  and  a  veritable  rain  of 
fire  filled  the  air.  This  was  the  most  intense  heat  that 
they  had  yet  noted. 

Joe  arranged  their  bivouac  for  that  evening,  as  he  had 
done  for  the  pre\aous  night ;  and  during  the  watches  kept 
by  the  doctor  and  Kennedy  there  was  no  fresh  incident. 


328  iTVB  wxEEB  nr  a  balloon. 

But,  toward  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  while  Joe 
was  on  guard,  the  temperature  suddenly  fell;  the  sky 
became  overcast  with  clouds,  and  the  darkness  increased. 

"  Turn  out ! "  cried  Joe,  arousing  his  companions. 
"  Turn  out !     Here's  the  wind ! " 

"  At  last  I "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  eying  the  heavens. 
"  But  it  is  a  storm !  The  balloon !  Let  us  hasten  to  the 
balloon ! " 

It  was  high  time  for  them  to  reach  it.  The  Victoria 
was  bending  to  the  force  of  the  hurricane,  and  dragging 
along  the  car,  the  latter  grazing  the  sand.  Had  any  por- 
tion of  the  ballast  been  accidentally  thrown  out,  the 
balloon  would  have  been  swept  away,  and  all  hope  of 
recovering  it  have  been  forever  lost. 

But  fleet-footed  Joe  put  forth  his  utmost  speed,  and 
checked  the  car,  while  the  balloon  beat  upon  the  sand,  at 
the  risk  of  being  torn  to  pieces.  The  doctor,  followed  by 
Kennedy,  leaped  in,  and  lit  his  cylinder,  while  his  com- 
panions threw  out  the  superfluous  ballast. 

The  travellers  took  one  last  look  at  the  trees  of  the 
oasis  bowing  to  the  force  of  the  hurricane,  and  soon, 
catching  the  wind  at  two  hundred  feet  above  the  ground, 
disappeared  in  the  gloom. 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-NINTH. 

Blgn*  of  Vegetation.— The  Fantastic  Notion  of  a  French  Anthor.— A  Magnificent 
Country.— The  Kingdom  of  Adamova.— The  Erplorations  of  Speke  and  Bur 
ton  connected  with  those  of  Dr.  Barth.— The  Atlantika  MountainB.— The 
Biver  Benoufi.— The  City  of  Tola.- The  Bagel6.— Mount  Mendif. 

Feom  the  moment  of  their  departure,  the  travellers 
moved  with  great  velocity.  They  longed  to  leave  behind 
them  the  desert,  which  had  so  nearly  been  fatal  to  them. 

About  a  quarter-past  nine  in  the  morning,  they  caught 
a  glimpse  of  some  signs  of  vegetation :  herbage  floating 
on  that  sea  of  sand,  and  announcing,  as  the  weeds  upon 
the  ocean  did  to  Christopher  Columbus,  the  nearness  of 
the  shore — green  shoots  peeping  up  timidly  between  peb- 
bles that  were,  in  their  turn,  to  be  the  rocks  of  that  vast 
expanse. 

Hills,  but  of  trifling  height,  were  seen  in  wavy  lines 
upon  the  horizon.  Tlieir  profile,  muffled  by  the  heavy 
mist,  was  defined  but  vaguely.  The  monotony,  however, 
was  beginning  to  disappear. 

The  doctor  hailed  with  joy  the  new  country  thus  dis- 
closed, and,  like  a  seaman  on  lookout  at  the  mast-head,  he 
was  ready  to  shout  aloud : 

«  Land,  ho  !  land  I " 

An  hour  later  the  continent  spread  broadly  before  ♦heir 
gaze,  still  wild  in  aspect,  but  less  flat,  less  denuded,  and 
with  a  few  trees  standing  out  against  the  gray  sky. 

"  "We  are  in  a  civilized  country  at  last  I "  said  the 
hunter. 


230  FIVE    WEEKS    m   A   BALLOON. 

"  Civilized  ?  Well,  that's  one  way  of  speaking ;  but 
there  are  no  people  to  be  seen  yet." 

"  It  will  not  be  long  before  we  see  them,"  said  Fer- 
guson, "  at  our  present  rate  of  travel" 

"  Are  we  still  in  the  negro  country,  doctor  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  on  our  way  to  the  country  of  the  Arabs.** 

"  What !  real  Arabs,  sir,  with  their  camels  ?  " 

"  No,  not  many  camels ;  they  are  scarce,  if  not  alto- 
gether unknown,  in  these  regions.  We  must  go  a  few 
degrees  farther  north  to  see  them." 

"What  a  pity!" 

"  And  why,  Joe  ?  " 

"  Because,  if  the  wind  fell  contrary,  they  might  be  of 
use  to  us." 

"How  so?" 

"  Well,  sir,  it's  just  a  notion  that's  got  into  my  head : 
we  might  hitch  them  to  the  car,  and  make  them  tow  na 
along.     What  do  you  say  to  that,  doctor  ?  " 

"  Poor  Joe !  Another  person  had  that  idea  in  advance 
of  you.  It  was  used  by  a  very  gifted  French  author — 
M.  Mery — in  a  romance,  it  is  true.  He  has  his  travellers 
drawn  along  in  a  balloon  by  a  team  of  camels  ;  then  a  lion 
comes  up,  devours  the  camels,  swallows  the  tow-rope,  and 
hauls  the  balloon  in  their  stead ;  and  so  on  through  the 
story.  You  see  that  the  whole  thing  is  the  top-flower  of 
fancy,  but  has  nothing  in  common  with  our  style  of  loco- 
motion." 

Joe,  a  little  cut  down  at  learning  that  his  idea  had 
been  used  already,  cudgelled  his  wits  to  imagine  what 
animal  could  have  devoured  the  lion;  but  he  could  not 
guess  it,  and  so  quietly  went  on  scanning  the  appearance 
of  the  country. 

A  lake  of  medium  extent  stretched  away  before  him, 
surrounded  by  an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  which  yet  could 
not  be  dijrnified  with  the  name  of  mountains.     There  were 


A   MAGNIFIOENT   PEOSPEOT.  231 

winding  valleys,  numerous  and  fertile,  with  their  tangled 
thickets  of  the  most  various  trees.  The  African  oil-tree 
rose  above  the  mass,  with  leaves  fifteen  feet  in  length  upon 
its  stalk,  the  latter  studded  with  sharp  thorns ;  the  bom- 
bax,  or  silk-cotton-tree,  filled  the  wind,  as  it  swept  by, 
with  the  fine  down  of  its  seeds ;  the  pungent  odors  of  the 
pendayius,  the  "kenda"  of  the  Arabs,  perfumed  the  air 
up  to  the  height  where  the  Victoria  was  sailing ;  the 
papaw-tree,  with  its  pahn-shaped  leaves ;  the  sterculier^ 
which  produces  the  Soudan-nut ;  the  baobab,  and  the 
banana-tree,  completed  the  luxuriant  flora  of  these  inter- 
tropical regions. 

"  The  country  is  superb ! "  said  the  doctor. 

"  Here  are  some  animals,"  added  Joe.  "  Men  are  not 
far  away." 

"  Oh,  what  magnificent  elephants  I "  exclaimed  Ken- 
nedy.   "  Is  there  no  way  to  get  a  little  shooting  ?  " 

"  How  could  we  manage  to  halt  in  a  current  as  strong 
as  this  ?  No,  Dick ;  you  must  taste  a  little  of  the  torture 
of  Tantalus  just  now.  You  shall  make  up  for  it  afterward." 

And,  in  truth,  there  was  enough  to  excite  the  fancy  ol 
a  sportsman.  Dick's  heart  fairly  leaped  in  his  breast  as 
he  grasped  the  butt  of  his  Purdy. 

The  fauna  of  the  region  were  as  striking  as  its  flora. 
The  wild-ox  revelled  in  dense  herbage  that  often  concealed 
his  whole  body ;  gray,  black,  and  yellow  elephants  of  the 
most  gigantic  size  burst  headlong,  like  a  living  hurricane, 
through  the  forests,  breaking,  rending,  tearing  down,  de- 
vastating every  thing  in  their  path;  upon  the  woody 
slopes  of  the  hills  trickled  cascades  and  springs  flowing 
northward  ;  there,  too,  the  hippopotami  bathed  their  huge 
forms,  splashing  and  snorting  as  they  frolicked  in  the 
water,  and  lamantines,  twelve  feet  long,  with  bodies  like 
seals,  stretched  themselves  along  the  banks,  turning  up 
toward  the  sun  their  rounded  teats  swollen  with  milk. 


232  rms  weeks  m  a  ballook. 

It  was  a  whole  menagerie  of  rare  and  curiouB  beasts  in 
a  wondrous  hot-house,  where  numberless  birds  with  plu 
mage  of  a  thousand  hues  gleamed  and  fluttered  in  the  sun- 
shine. 

By  this  prodigality  of  Nature,  the  doctor  recognized 
the  splendid  kingdom  of  Adamova. 

"  We  are  now  beginning  to  trench  upon  the  realm  of 
modern  discovery.  I  have  taken  up  the  lost  scent  of  pre- 
ceding travellers.  It  is  a  happy  chance,  my  friends,  for 
we  sliall  be  enabled  to  link  the  toils  of  Captains  Burton  and 
Speke  with  the  explorations  of  Dr.  Barth.  We  have  left 
the  Englishmen  behind  us,  and  now  have  caught  up  with 
the  Hamburger.  It  will  not  be  long,  either,  before  we 
arrive  at  the  extreme  point  attained  by  that  daring  ex- 
plorer." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  a  vast  extent  of  country 
between  the  two  explored  routes,"  remarked  Kennedy; 
"  at  least,  if  I  am  to  judge  by  the  distance  that  we  have 
made." 

"  It  is  easy  to  determine  :  take  the  map  and  see  what 
is  the  longitude  of  the  southern  point  of  Lake  Ukereou6, 
reached  by  Speke." 

"  It  is  near  the  thirty-seventh  degree." 

"  And  the  city  of  Yola,  which  we  shall  sight  this  even- 
ing, and  to  which  Barth  penetrated,  what  is  its  position  ?  " 

"  It  is  about  in  the  twelfth  degree  of  east  longitude." 

"  Then  there  are  twenty-five  degrees,  or,  counting  sixty 
miles  to  each,  about  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  all." 

"  A  nice  little  walk,"  said  Joe,  "  for  people  who  have 
to  go  on  foot." 

"  It  will  be  accomplished,  however.  Livingstone  and 
Moflfat  are  pushing  on  up  this  line  toward  the  interior. 
Nyassa,  which  they  have  discovered,  is  not  far  from  Lake 
Tanganayika,  seen  by  Burton.  Ere  the  close  of  the  century 
these  regions  will,  undoubtedly,  be  explored.   But,"  added 


THEY    HAIT    FOUT!    MILES    FEOM   TOLA.  233 

the  doctor,  consulting  his  compass,  "I  regret  that  the 
wind  is  carrying  us  so  far  to  the  westward.  I  wanted  to 
get  to  the  north." 

After  twelve  hours  of  progress,  the  Victoria  found  her- 
self on  the  confines  of  Nigritia.  The  first  inhabitants  of 
this  region,  the  Chouas  Arabs,  were  feeding  their  wander- 
ing flocks.  The  immense  summits  of  the  Atlantika  Moun- 
tains  seen  above  the  horizon — mountains  that  no  European 
foot  had  yet  scaled,  and  whose  height  is  computed  to  be 
ten  thousand  feet !  Their  western  slope  determines  the 
flow  of  all  the  waters  in  this  region  of  Africa  toward  the 
ocean.  They  are  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  to  this  part 
of  the  continent. 

At  length  a  real  river  greeted  the  gaze  of  our  travel- 
lers, and,  by  the  enormous  ant-hills  seen  in  its  vicinity,  the 
doctor  recognized  the  Benou6,  one  of  the  great  tributaries 
of  the  Niger,  the  one  which  the  natives  have  called  "  The 
Fountain  of  the  Waters." 

"  This  river,"  said  the  doctor  to  his  companions,  "  will, 
one  day,  be  the  natural  channel  of  communication  with 
the  interior  of  Nigritia.  Under  the  command  of  one  of 
our  brave  captains,  the  steamer  Pleiad  has  already  as 
cended  as  far  as  the  town  of  Tola.  You  see  that  we  are 
not  in  an  unknown  country." 

Numerous  slaves  were  engaged  in  the  labors  of  the 
field,  cultivating  sorgho,  a  kind  of  millet  which  forms  the 
chief  basis  of  their  diet ;  and  the  most  stupid  expressions 
of  astonishment  ensued  as  the  Victoria  sped  past  like  a 
meteor.  That  evening  the  balloon  halted  about  forty  miles 
from  Yola,  and  ahead  of  it,  but  in  the  distance,  rose  the 
two  sharp  cones  of  Mount  jMendif. 

The  doctor  threw  out  his  anchors  and  made  fast  to  the 
top  of  a  high  tree ;  but  a  very  violent  wind  beat  upon  the 
balloon  with  such  force  as  to  throw  it  over  on  its  side,  thus 
rendering  the  position  of  the  car  sometimes  extremely 


234  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BALLOON. 

dangerous.  Ferguson  did  not  close  his  eyes  all  night,  and 
he  was  repeatedly  on  the  point  of  cutting  the  anchor-rope 
and  scudding  a-w  ay  before  the  gale.  At  length,  however, 
the  storm  abated,  and  the  oscillations  of  the  balloon  ceased 
to  be  alarming. 

On  the  morrow  the  wind  was  more  moderate,  but  it 
carried  our  travellers  away  from  the  city  of  Yola,  which, 
recently  rebuilt  by  the  Fouillans,  excited  Ferguson's  curi- 
osity. However,  he  had  to  make  up  his  mind  to  being 
borne  farther  to  the  northward  and  even  a  little  to  the 
east. 

Kennedy  proposed  to  halt  in  this  fine  hunting-country, 
and  Joe  declared  that  the  need  of  fresh  meat  was  begin- 
ning to  be  felt ;  but  the  savage  customa  of  the  coimtry, 
the  attitude  of  the  population,  and  some  shots  fired  at  the 
Victoria,  admonished  the  doctor  to  continue  his  journey. 
They  were  then  crossing  a  region  that  was  the  scene  of 
massacres  and  burnings,  and  where  warlike  conflicts  be- 
tween the  barbarian  sultans,  contending  for  their  power 
amid  the  most  atrocious  carnage,  never  cease. 

Numerous  and  populous  villages  of  long  low  huts 
stretched  away  between  broad  pasture-fields  whose  dense 
herbage  was  besprinkled  with  violet-colored  blossoms. 
The  huts,  looking  like  huge  beehives,  were  sheltered  be- 
hind bristling  palisades.  The  wild  hill-sides  and  hollows 
frequently  reminded  the  beholder  of  the  glens  in  the  High- 
lands of  Scotland,  as  Kennedy  more  than  once  remarked. 

In  spite  of  all  he  could  do,  the  doctor  bore  directly  to 
the  northeast,  toward  Mount  Mendif,  which  was  lost  in 
the  midst  of  environing  clouds.  The  lofty  summits  of 
these  mountains  separate  the  valley  of  the  Niger  from  the 
basin  of  Lake  Tchad. 

Soon  afterward  was  seen  the  Bag616,  with  its  eighteen 
villages  clinging  to  its  flanks  like  a  whole  brood  of  chil- 
dren to  thtir  mother's  bosom — a  magnificent  spectacle  for 


THEY   OEOSB   MOUNT   MENDIF.  235 

the  beholder  whose  gaze  coimnanded  and  took  in  the  en- 
tire picture  at  one  view.  Even  the  ravines  were  seen  to 
be  covered  with  fields  of  rice  and  of  arachides. 

By  three  o'clock  the  Victoria  was  directly  in  front  ol 
Mount  Mendi£  It  had  been  impossible  to  avoid  it ;  the 
only  thing  to  be  done  was  to  cross  it.  The  doctor,  by 
means  of  a  temperature  increased  to  one  hundred  and 
eighty  degrees,  gave  the  balloon  a  fresh  ascensional  forct 
of  nearly  sixteen  hundred  poimds,  and  it  went  up  to  an 
elevation  of  more  than  eight  thousand  feet,  the  greatest 
height  attained  during  the  journey.  The  temperature  of 
the  atmosphere  was  so  much  cooler  at  that  point  that  the 
aeronauts  had  to  resort  to  their  blankets  and  thick  cover- 
ings. 

Ferguson  was  in  haste  to  descend ;  the  covering  of  the 
balloon  gave  indications  of  bursting,  bui,  in  the  meanwhile 
he  had  time  to  satisfy  himself  of  the  volcanic  origin  of  the 
mountain,  whose  extinct  craters  are  now  but  deep  abysses. 
Immense  accumulations  of  bird-guano  gave  the  sides  of 
Mount  Mendif  the  appearance  of  calcareous  rocks,  and  there 
was  enough  of  the  deposit  there  to  manure  all  the  lands  in 
the  United  Kingdom. 

At  five  o'clock  the  Victoria,  sheltered  from  the  south 
winds,  ^ent  gently  gliding  along  the  slopes  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  stopped  in  a  wide  clearing  remote  from  any  habi- 
tation. The  instant  it  touched  the  soil,  all  needful  precau- 
tions were  taken  to  hold  it  there  firmly ;  and  Kennedy, 
fowling-piece  in  hand,  sallied  out  upon  the  sloping  plain. 
Ere  long,  he  returned  with  half  a  dozen  wild  ducks  and  a 
kind  of  snipe,  whicli  Joe  served  up  in  his  best  style.  The 
me-al  was  heartily  relished,  and  the  night  was  passed  in 
undisturbed  and  refreshing  filumber. 


CHAPTER  THIRTIETH. 

MoBfela.— The  Sheik.— Denham,  Clapperton,  and  Oudney.— Vogei,— The  Capita 
of  Loggontn.— Toole.— Becalmed  above  Kcmak.— The  Governor  and  his  Coart 
—The  Attack. — The  Incendiary  I*igeon8. 

On  the  next  day,  May  11th,  the  Victoria  resumed  her 
adventurous  journey.  Her  passengers  had  the  same  con- 
fidence in  her  that  a  good  seaman  has  in  his  ship. 

In  terrific  hurricanes,  in  tropical  heats,  when  making 
dangerous  departures,  and  descents  still  more  dangerous, 
it  had,  at  all  times  and  in  all  places,  come  out  safely.  It 
might  almost  have  been  said  that  Ferguson  managed  it 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand  ;  and  hence,  without  knovring  in 
advance,  where  the  point  of  arrival  would  be,  the  doctor 
had  no  fears  concerning  the  successful  issue  of  his  journey. 
However,  in  this  country  of  barbarians  and  fanatics,  pru- 
dence obliged  him  to  take  the  strictest  precautioi  s.  He 
therefore  counselled  his  companions  to  have  their  eyes 
wide  open  for  every  thing  and  at  all  hours. 

The  wind  drifted  a  little  more  to  the  northward,  and, 
toward  nine  o'clock,  they  sighted  the  larger  city  of  Mos- 
feia,  built  upon  an  eminence  which  was  itself  enclosed  be- 
tween two  lofty  mountains.  Its  position  was  impregnable, 
a  narrow  road  running  between  a  marsh  and  a  tliick  wood 
being  the  only  channel  of  approach  to  it. 

At  the  moment  of  which  we  write,  a  sheik,  accompa- 
nied by  a  mounted  escort,  and  clad  in  a  garb  of  brilliant 
colors,  preceded  by  couriers  and  trumpeters,  who  put  asid« 


THE   SHEIK-  237 

the  boughs  of  the  trees  as  he  rode  up,  was  making  his 
grand  entry  into  the  place. 

The  doctor  lowered  the  balloon  in  order  to  get  a  bet- 
ter look  at  this  cavalcade  of  natives ;  but,  as  the  balloon 
grew  larger  to  their  eyes,  they  began  to  show  symptoms 
of  intense  affright,  and  at  length  made  off  in  different  di- 
rections  as  fast  as  their  legs  and  those  of  their  horses  could 
carry  them. 

The  sheik  alone  did  not  budge  an  inch.  He  merely 
grasped  his  long  musket,  cocked  it,  and  proudly  waited  in 
silence.  The  doctor  came  on  to  within  a  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  of  him,  and  then,  with  his  roundest  and  fullest 
voice,  saluted  him  courteously  in  the  Arabic  tongue. 

But,  upon  hearing  these  words  falling,  as  it  seemed, 
from  the  sky,  the  sheik  dismounted  and  prostrated  him- 
self in  the  dust  of  the  highway,  where  the  doctor  had  to 
leave  him,  finding  it  impossible  to  divert  him  from  his 
adoration. 

"  Unquestionably,"  Ferguson  remarked,  "  those  people 
take  us  for  supernatural  beings.  When  Europeans  came 
among  them  for  the  first  time,  they  were  mistaken  for 
creatures  of  a  higher  race.  When  this  sheik  comes  to 
speak  of  to-day's  meeting,  he  will  not  fail  to  embellish  the 
circumstance  with  all  the  resources  of  an  Arab  imagina- 
tion. You  may,  therefore,  judge  what  an  account  their 
legends  will  give  of  us  some  day." 

"  Not  such  a  desirable  thing,  after  all,"  said  the  Scot, 
"  in  the  point  of  view  that  affects  civilization ;  it  would  be 
better  to  pass  for  mere  men.  That  would  give  these  negro 
races  a  superior  idea  of  European  power." 

"  Very  good,  my  dear  Dick ;  but  what  can  we  io  about 
it?  You  might  sit  all  day  explaining  the  mechanism  of 
a  balloon  to  the  savayits  of  this  country,  and  yet  they  would 
not  comprehend  you,  but  would  persist  in  ascribing  it  to 
supernatural  aid." 


23S  FIVB   WEEKg    IN   A   BALEOOH". 

"  Doctor,  you  spoke  of  the  first  time  Europeans  visited 
these  regions.     Who  were  the  visitors  ?  "  inquired  Joe. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  we  are  now  upon  the  very  track  of 
Major  Denham.  It  was  at  this  very  city  of  Mosfeia  that 
he  was  received  by  the  Sultan  of  Mandara ;  he  had  quitted 
the  Bornou  country ;  he  accompanied  the  sheik  in  an  ex- 
pedition against  the  Fellatahs ;  he  assisted  in  the  attack 
on  the  city,  which,  with  its  arrows  alone,  bravely  resisted 
the  bullets  of  the  Arabs,  and  put  the  sheik's  troops  to 
flight.  All  this  was  but  a  pretext  for  murders,  raids,  and 
pillage.  The  major  was  completely  plundered  and  stripped, 
and  had  it  not  been  for  his  horse,  under  whose  stomach  he 
clung  with  the  skill  of  an  Indian  rider,  and  was  borne  with 
a  headlong  gallop  from  his  barbarous  pursuers,  he  never 
could  have  made  his  way  back  to  Kouka,  the  capital  of 
Bornou." 

"  Who  was  this  Major  Denham  ?  " 

"A  fearless  Englishman,  who,  between  1822  and  1824, 
commanded  an  expedition  into  the  Bornou  country,  in 
company  with  Captain  Clapperton  and  Dr.  Oudney.  They 
set  out  from  Tripoli  in  the  month  of  March,  reached  Mour- 
zouk,  the  capital  of  Fez,  and,  following  the  route  which  at 
a  later  period  Dr.  Barth  was  to  pursue  on  his  way  back  to 
'Europe,  they  arrived,  on  the  16th  of  February,  1823,  at 
Kouka,  near  Lake  Tchad.  Denham  made  several  explora- 
tions in  Bornou,  in  Mandara,  and  to  the  eastern  shores  of 
the  lake.  In  the  mean  time,  on  the  15th  of  December, 
1823,  Captain  Clapperton  and  Dr.  Oudney  had  pushed 
their  way  through  the  Soudan  country  as  far  as  Sackatoo, 
and  OudLJy  died  of  fatigue  and  exhaustion  in  the  town 
of  Murmur." 

"  This  part  of  Afiica  has,  therefore,  paid  a  heavy  trib- 
ute of  victims  to  the  cause  of  science,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Yes,  this  coimtry  is  fatal  to  travellers.  We  are  mov- 
mg  directly  toward  the  kingdofli  of  Baghinni,  which  Vogel 


VOG  EL.  339 

traversed  in  1856,  so  as  to  reach  the  "Wadai  country,  where 
he  disappeared.  This  young  man,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three,  had  been  sent  to  cooperate  with  Dr.  Barth.  They 
met  on  the  1st  of  December,  1854,  and  thereupon  com- 
menced his  explorations  of  the  coimtry.  Toward  1856,  he 
announced,  in  the  last  letters  received  from  him,  his  ia- 
tention  to  reconnoitre  the  kingdom  of  Wadai,  which  no 
European  had  yet  penetrated.  It  appears  that  be  got  as 
far  as  Wara,  the  capital,  where,  according  to  some  ac- 
counts, he  was  made  prisoner,  and,  according  to  others, 
was  put  to  death  for  having  attempted  to  ascend  a  sacred 
mountain  in  the  environs.  But,  we  must  not  too  lightly 
admit  the  death  of  travellers,  since  that  does  away  with 
the  necessity  of  going  in  search  of  them.  For  instance, 
how  often  was  the  death  of  Dr.  Barth  reported,  to  his 
own  great  annoyance !  It  is,  therefore,  very  possible  that 
Vogel  may  still  be  held  as  a  prisoner  by  the  Sultan  of 
Wadai,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  good  ransom  for  him. 

"  Baron  de  Neimans  was  about  starting  for  the  Wadai 
country  when  he  died  at  Cairo,  in  1855  ;  and  we  now  know 
that  De  Heuglin  has  set  out  on  Vogel's  track  with  the  ex- 
pedition sent  from  Leipsic,  so  that  we  shall  soon  be  accu- 
rately informed  as  to  the  fate  of  that  young  and  interesting 
explorer."  * 

Mosfeia  had  disappeared  from  the  horizon  long  ere  this, 
and  the  Mandara  country  was  developing  to  the  gaze  of 
our  aeronauts  its  astonishing  fertility,  with  its  forests  of 
acacias,  its  locust-trees  covered  with  red  flowers,  and  the 
herbaceous  plants  of  its  fields  of  cotton  and  Indigo  trees. 
The  river  Shari,  which  eighty  miles  farther  on  rolled  its 
impetuous  waters  into  Lake  Tchad,  was  quite  distinctly 
seen. 

•  Since  the  doctor's  departure,  letters  written    from  El'Obeid  by 
Mr.  Muntzinger,  the  newly-appointed  head  of  the  expedition,  unfortu 
nately  place  the  death  of  Vogel  beyond  a  doubt. 
U  Y 


240  Fro;  weeks  m  a  balloobt. 

The  doctor  got  his  companions  to  trace  its  course  upon 
the  maps  drawn  by  Dr.  Barth. 

"  You  perceive,"  said  he, "  that  the  labors  of  this  savant 
have  been  conducted  with  great  precision ;  we  are  moving 
directly  toward  the  Loggoum  region,  and  perhaps  toward 
Kernak,  its  capital.  It  was  there  that  poor  Toole  died,  a 
the  age  of  scarcely  twenty-two.  He  was  a  young  English- 
man, an  ensign  in  the  80th  regiment,  who,  a  few  weeks 
before,  had  joined  Major  Denham  in  Africa,  and  it  was 
not  long  ere  he  there  met  his  death.  Ah  !  this  vast 
country  might  well  be  called  the  graveyard  of  European 
travellers." 

Some  boats,  fifty  feet  long,  were  descending  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Sharl  The  Victoria.,  then  one  thousand  feet 
above  the  soil,  hardly  attracted  the  attention  of  the  na- 
tives ;  but  the  wind,  which  until  then  had  been  blowing 
with  a  certain  degree  of  strength,  was  falling  off. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  we  are  to  be  caught  in  another  dead 
calm?"  sighed  the  doctor. 

"  Well,  we've  no  lack  of  water,  nor  the  desert  to  fear 
anyhow,  master,"  said  Joe. 

"  No ;  but  there  are  races  here  still  more  to  be  dreaded." 

"  Why ! "  said  Joe,  again,  "  there's  something  like  a 
town." 

"  That  is  Kernak.  The  last  puffs  of  the  breeze  are 
wafting  us  to  it,  and,  if  we  choose,  we  can  take  an  exact 
plan  of  the  place." 

"  Shall  we  not  go  nearer  to  it  ^  *"  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Nothing  easier,  Dick !  We  are  right  over  it.  Allow 
me  to  turn  the  stopcock  of  the  cylinder,  and  we'll  not  be 
long  in  descending." 

Half  an  hour  later  the  balloon  hung  motionless  about 
two  hundred  feet  from  the  ground, 

"  Here  we  are ! "  said  the  doctor,  "  nearer  to  Kernak 
than  a  man  would  be  to  London,  if  he  were  porclied  in  thf 


THE   CAPITAL   OP  LOGQOUM.  241 

cupola  of  Sl    Paul's.     So  we  can  take  a  survey  at  oui 
ease." 

"  What  is  that  tick-tacking  sound  that  we  hear  on  all 
sides?" 

Joe  looked  attentively,  and  at  length  discovered  that 
the  noise  they  heard  was  produced  by  a  number  of  weavers 
beating  cloth  stretched  in  the  open  air,  on  large  trunks  of 
trees. 

The  capital  of  Loggoum  could  then  be  seen  in  its  en- 
tire extent,  like  an  unrolled  chart.  It  is  really  a  city  with 
straight  rows  of  houses  and  quite  wide  streets.  In  the 
midst  of  a  large  open  space  there  was  a  slave-market, 
attended  by  a  great  crowd  of  customers,  for  the  Mandara 
women,  who  have  extremely  small  hands  and  feet,  are  in 
excellent  request,  and  can  be  sold  at  lucrative  rates. 

At  the  sight  of  the  Victoria,  the  scene  so  often  pro- 
duced occurred  again.  At  first  there  were  outcries,  and 
then  followed  general  stupefaction;  business  was  aban- 
doned ;  work  was  flung  aside,  and  all  noise  ceased.  The 
aeronauts  remained  as  they  were,  completely  motionless, 
and  lost  not  a  detail  of  the  populous  city.  They  even 
went  down  to  within  sixty  feet  of  the  ground. 

Hereupon  the  Governor  of  Loggoum  came  out  from 
his  residence,  displaying  his  green  standard,  and  accom 
panied  by  his  musicians,  who  blew  on  hoarse  buffalo-horns, 
as  though  they  would  split  their  cheeks  or  any  thing  else, 
excepting  their  own  lungs.  The  crowd  at  once  gathered 
around  him.  In  the  mean  while  Dr.  Ferojuson  tried  to 
make  himself  heard,  but  in  vain. 

This  population  looked  like  proud  and  intelligent  peo- 
ple, with  their  high  foreheads,  their  almost  aquiline  noses, 
and  theii*  curling  hair ;  but  the  presence  of  the  Victoria 
troubled  them  greatly.  Horsemen  could  be  seen  gallop- 
ing in  all  directions,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  the 
govexuor's  troops  weri'  assembling;  to  oppose  so  extraor 


242  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BAiLOON. 

dinary  a  foe.  Joe  -wore  himself  out  waving  handkerchieia 
of  every  color  and  shape  to  them ;  but  his  exertions  were 
all  to  no  purpose. 

However,  the  sheik,  surrounded  by  his  court,  pro- 
claimed silence,  and  pronounced  a  discourse,  of  which  the 
doctor  could  not  understand  a  word.  It  was  Arabic,  mixed 
with  Baghirmi.  He  could  make  out  enough,  however,  by 
the  universal  language  of  gestures,  to  be  aware  that  he 
was  receiving  a  very  polite  invitation  to  depart.  Indeed, 
he  would  have  asked  for  nothing  better,  but  for  lack  of 
wind,  the  thing  had  become  impossible.  His  noncom- 
pliance, therefore,  exasperated  the  governor,  whose  cour- 
tiers and  attendants  set  up  a  furious  howl  to  enforce  imme- 
diate obedience  on  the  part  of  the  aerial  monster. 

They  were  odd-looking  fellows  those  courtiers,  with 
their  five  or  six  shirts  swathed  around  their  bodies !  They 
had  enormous  stomachs,  some  of  which  actually  seemed 
to  be  artificial.  The  doctor  surprised  his  companions  by 
informing  them  that  this  was  the  way  to  pay  court  to  the 
sultan.  The  rotundity  of  the  stomach  indicated  the  am- 
bition of  its  possessor.  These  corpulent  gentry  gesticu- 
lated and  bawled  at  the  top  of  their  voices — one  of  them 
particularly  distinguishing  himself  above  the  rest — to 
such  an  extent,  indeed,  that  he  must  have  been  a  prime 
minister — at  least,  if  the  disturbance  he  made  was  any 
criterion  of  his  rank.  The  common  rabble  of  dusky  deni- 
zens united  their  bowlings  with  the  uproar  of  the  court, 
repeating  their  gesticulations  like  so  many  monkeys,  and 
thereby  producing  a  single  and  instantaneous  movement 
of  ten  thousand  arms  at  one  time. 

To  these  means  of  intimidation,  which  were  presently 
deemed  insufiicient,  were  added  others  still  more  formi- 
dable. Soldiers,  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  were  drawn 
op  in  line  of  battle ;  but  by  this  time  the  balloon  was  ex- 
panding, an4  rising  quietly  beyond  their  reach.     Upon 


i 


ECrKAOEDLNAUY   PHENOMENA.  24^ 

this  the  governor  seized  a  musket  and  aimed  it  at  the 
balloon ;  but,  Kennedy,  who  was  watching  him,  shattered 
the  uplifted  weapon  in  the  sheik's  grasp. 

At  this  unexpected  blow  there  was  a  general  rout. 
Every  mother's  sor;  of  them  scampered  foi  his  dwelling 
with  the  utmost  celerity,  and  stayed  thaie,  so  that  the 
streets  of  the  town  were  absolutely  d<»3orted  for  the  re- 
mainder of  that  day. 

Night  came,  and  not  a  breath  of  wind  was  stirring. 
The  aeronauts  had  to  make  up  their  minds  to  remain 
motionless  at  the  distance  of  but  thi-ee  hundred  feet 
above  the  ground.  Not  a  fire  or  light  shone  in  the  deep 
gloom,  and  around  reigned  the  silence  of  death ;  but  the 
doctor  only  redoubled  his  vigilance,  as  this  apparent  quiet 
might  conceal  some  snare. 

And  he  had  reason  to  be  watchful.  About  midnight, 
the  whole  city  seemed  to  be  in  a  blaze.  Hundreds  of 
streaks  of  flame  crossed  each  other,  and  shot  to  and  fro 
in  the  air  like  rockets,  forming  a  regular  network  of  fire. 

"That's  really  curious!"  said  the  doctor,  somewhat 
puzzled  to  make  out  what  it  meant. 

"  By  all  that's  glorious ! "  shouted  Kennedy,  "  it  looks 
as  if  the  fire  were  ascending  and  coming  up  toward  us  I " 

And,  sure  enough,  with  an  accompaniment  of  musket- 
shots,  yelling,  and  din  of  every  description,  the  mass  oi 
fire  was,  indeed,  mounting  toward  the  Victoria.  Joe  got 
ready  to  throw  out  ballast,  and  Ferguson  was  not  long  at 
guessing  the  truth.  Thousands  of  pigeons,  their  tails  gar- 
nished with  combustibles,  had  been  set  loose  and  driven 
toward  the  Victoria ;  and  now,  in  their  terror,  they  were 
flying  high  up,  zigzagging  the  atmosphere  with  lines  of 
fire.  Kennedy  was  preparing  to  discharge  all  his  batteries 
into  the  middle  of  the  ascending  multitude,  but  what 
could  he  have  done  against  such  a  numberless  army? 
The  pigeons  were  already  whisking  around  the  car  j  they 

y 


244  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A  BAliLOON. 

were  even  surrounding  the  balloon,  the  sides  of  which, 
reflecting  their  illumination,  looked  as  though  enveloped 
with  a  network  of  fire. 

The  doctor  dared  hesitate  no  longer ;  and,  throwing 
out  a  fragment  of  quartz,  he  kept  himself  beyond  the 
reach  of  these  dangerous  assailants ;  and,  for  two  hours 
afterward,  he  could  see  them  wandering  hither  and  thither 
through  the  darkness  of  the  night,  untU,  little  by  little, 
their  light  diminished,  and  they,  one  by  one,  died. out. 

"  Now  we  may  sleep  in  quiet,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Not  badly  got  up  for  barbarians,"  mused  friend  Joe, 
speaking  his  thoughts  aloud. 

"  Oh,  they  employ  these  pigeons  frequently,  to  set  fire 
to  the  thatch  of  hostile  villages ;  but  this  time  the  village 
mounted  higher  than  they  could  go." 

"  Why,  positively,  a  balloon  need  fear  no  enemies  1 " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  it  may ! "  objected  Ferguson. 

"  Wbat  are  they,  then,  doctor  ?  " 

"  They  are  the  careless  people  in  the  car  I  So,  my 
firiends,  let  us  have  vigilance  in  all  places  and  at  aU 
times.** 


CHAPTER  THIRTY-FniST. 

Departnre  in  the  Night-time.— All  Three. — Kennedy's  Instincts. — Precaatlons.— 
The  Course  of  the  Shari  River.— Lalie  TcliacL— The  Water  of  the  Lake,— Th« 
Hippopotamus. — One  BuUet  thrown  away. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Joe,  vrho  was  then 
on  watch,  at  length  saw  the  city  move  away  from  beneath 
his  feet.  The  Victoria  was  once  again  in  motion,  and 
both  the  doctor  and  Kennedy  awoke. 

The  former  consulted  his  compass,  and  saw,  with  satis- 
faction, that  the  wind  was  carrying  them  toward  the 
north-northeast. 

"  "We  are  in  luck !  '*  said  he ;  "  every  thing  works  in 
our  favor :  we  shall  discover  Lake  Tchad  this  very  day." 

"  Is  it  a  broad  sheet  of  water  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Somewhat,  Dick.  At  its  greatest  length  and  breadth, 
it  measures  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  mUes." 

"  It  will  spice  our  trip  with  a  little  variety  to  sail 
over  a  spacious  sheet  of  water." 

"  After  all,  though,  I  don't  see  that  we  have  much  to 
complain  of  on  that  score.  Our  trip  has  been  very  much 
varied,  indeed;  and,  moreover,  we  are  getting  on  under 
ihe  best  possible  conditions." 

"  Unquestionably  so ;  excepting  those  privations  Dn 
the  desert,  we  have  encountered  no  serious  danger." 

"It  itt  not  to  be  denied  that  our  noble  balloon  has 
behaved  wonderfully  well.  To-day  is  May  12th,  and  we 
started  on  the  18th  of  April     That  makes  twenty-fivo 


246  FIVE    WEEKS    m    A   BALLOOU. 

days  of  journeying.  In  ten  days  more  we  shall  hare 
reached  our  destination." 

"  Wliere  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.     But  what  does  that  signify  ?  " 

"  Tou  are  right  again,  Samuel !  Let  us  intrust  to  Prov- 
idence the  care  of  guiding  us  and  of  keeping  us  in  good 
health  as  we  are  now.  We  don't  look  much  as  though 
we  had  been  crossing  the  most  pestilential  country  in  the 
world ! " 

"  We  had  an  opportunity  of  getting  up  in  life,  and  that's 
what  we  have  done  ! " 

"  Hurrah  for  trips  in  the  air  1 "  cried  Joe.  "  Here  we 
are  at  the  end  of  twenty-five  days  in  good  condition,  well 
fed,  and  well  rested.  We've  had  too  much  rest  in  fact, 
for  my  legs  begin  to  feel  rusty,  and  I  wouldn't  be  vexed 
a  bit  to  stretch  them  with  a  run  of  thirty  miles  or  so  1 " 

"  You  can  do  that,  Joe,  in  the  streets  of  London,  but 
in  fine  we  set  out  three  together,  like  Denham,  Clapperton, 
and  Overweg ;  like  Barth,  Kichardson,  and  Vogel,  and, 
more  fortunate  than  our  predecessors  here,  we  are  three 
in  number  still.  But  it  is  most  important  for  us  not  to 
separate.  If,  while  one  of  us  was  on  the  ground,  the 
Victoria  should  have  to  ascend  in  order  to  escape  some 
sudden  danger,  who  knows  whether  we  should  ever  see 
each  other  again  ?  Therefore  it  is  that  I  say  again  to 
Kennedy  frankly  that  I  do  not  like  his  going  off  alone  to 
hunt." 

"  But  still,  Samuel,  you  will  permit  me  to  indulge  that 
fancy  a  little.  There  is  no  harm  in  renewing  our  stock  of 
provisions.  Besides,  before  our  departure,  you  held  out 
to  me  the  prospect  of  some  superb  hunting,  and  thus  far  I 
have  done  but  little  in  the  line  of  the  Andersons  and  Cum- 
mings." 

"  But,  my  dear  Dick,  your  memory  fails  yon,  or  your 
modesty  makes  you  forget  your  own  exploits.     It  really 


Kennedy's  disappointment.  24? 

seems  to  me  that,  without  mentioning  small  game,  you 
have  already  an  antelope,  an  elephant,  and  two  lions  on 
your  conscience." 

"  But  what's  all  that  to  an  African  sportsman  who  sees 
all  the  animals  in  creation  strutting  along  under  the  muz 
zle  of  his  rifle  ?  There  I  there  I  look  at  that  troop  of  gi 
rafies ! " 

"  Those  girafies,"  roared  Joe ;  "  why,  they're  not  as  big 
as  my  fist." 

"  Because  we  are  a  thousand  feet  above  them ;  but  close 
to  them  you  would  discover  that  they  are  three  times  as 
tall  as  you  are  ! " 

"  And  what  do  you  say  to  yon  herd  of  gazelles,  and 
those  ostriches,  that  run  with  the  speed  of  the  wind  ?  "  re- 
sumed Kennedy. 

"  Those  ostriches  ?  "  remonstrated  Joe,  again ;  "  those 
are  chickens,  and  the  greatest  kind  of  chickens  I " 

"  Come,  doctor,  can't  we  get  down  nearer  to  them  ? " 
pleaded  Kennedy. 

"  We  can  get  closer  to  them,  Dick,  but  we  must  not 
land.  And  what  good  will  it  do  you  to  strike  down  those 
poor  animals  when  they  can  be  of  no  use  to  you  ?  Now, 
if  the  question  were  to  destroy  a  lion,  a  tiger,  a  cat,  a 
hyena,  I  could  understand  it ;  but  to  deprive  an  antelope 
or  a  gazelle  of  life,  to  no  other  purpose  than  the  gratifica- 
tion of  your  instincts  as  a  sportsman,  seems  hardly  worth 
the  trouble.  But,  after  all,  my  friend,  we  are  going  to 
keep  at  about  one  hundred  feet  only  from  the  soil,  and, 
should  you  see  any  ferocious  wild  beast,  oblige  us  by  send- 
ing a  ball  throuojh  its  heart  1 " 

The  Victoria  descended  gradually,  but  still  keeping  at 
a  safe  height,  for,  in  a  barbarous,  yet  very  populous  coun- 
try, it  was  necessary  to  keep  on  the  watch  for  unexpected 
perils. 

The  travellers  were  then  directly  following  the  cootm 


248  FtTB  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON. 

of  the  Shaii  The  charming  banks  of  this  river  were 
hidden  beneath  the  foliage  of  trees  of  various  dyes ;  lianas 
and  climbing  plants  womid  in  and  out  on  all  sides  and 
formed  the  most  curious  combinations  of  color.  Crocodiles 
were  seen  basking  in  the  broad  blaze  of  the  sun  or  plung- 
ing beneath  the  waters  with  the  agility  of  lizards,  and  in 
their  gambols  they  sported  about  among  the  many  green 
islands  that  intercept  the  current  of  the  stream. 

It  was  thus,  in  the  midst  of  rich  and  verdant  land- 
scapes that  our  travellers  passed  over  the  district  of  Maf- 
fatay,  and  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  reached  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Tchad. 

There  it  was  at  last,  outstretched  before  them,  that 
Caspian  Sea  of  Africa,  the  existence  of  which  was  so  long 
consigned  to  the  realms  of  fable — that  interior  expanse  of 
water  to  which  only  Denham's  and  Earth's  expeditions 
had  been  able  to  force  their  way. 

The  doctor  strove  in  vain  to  fix  its  precise  configura- 
tion upon  paper.  It  had  already  changed  greatly  since 
1847.  In  fact,  the  chart  of  Lake  Tchad  is  very  difiicult  to 
trace  with  exactitude,  for  it  is  surroimded  by  muddy  and 
almost  impassable  morasses,  in  which  Earth  thought  that 
he  was  doomed  to  perish.  From  year  to  year  these 
marshes,  covered  with  reeds  and  papyrus  fifteen  feet  high, 
become  the  lake  itself  Frequently,  too,  the  villages  on 
its  shores  are  half  submerged,  as  was  the  case  with  Ngor- 
nou  in  1856,  and  now  the  hippopotamus  and  the  alligator 
frisk  and  dive  where  the  dwellings  of  Bomou  once 
stood. 

The  sun  shot  his  dazzling  rays  over  this  placid  sheet 
of  water,  and  toward  the  north  the  two  elements  merged 
into  one  and  the  same  horizon. 

The  doctor  was  desirous  of  determining  the  character 
of  the  water,  which  was  long  believed  to  be  salt.  There 
was  no  danger  in  descending  close  to  the  lake,  and  the  car 


AJSTALTZING  THE  WATEE  OF  THE  LAKB.  249 

was  soon  skimming  its  surface  like  a  bird  at  tto  distance 
of  only  five  feet. 

Joe  plunged  a  bottle  into  the  lake  and  drew  it  up  half 
filled-  The  water  was  then  tasted  and  foimd  to  he  but 
little  fit  for  drinking,  with  a  certain  carbonate-of-soda 
flavor. 

While  the  doctor  was  jotting  down  the  result  of  this 
experiment,  the  loud  report  of  a  gun  was  heard  close  be- 
side him.  Kennedy  had  not  been  able  to  resist  the  temp- 
tation of  firing  at  a  huge  hippopotamus.  The  latter,  who 
had  been  basking  quietly,  disappeared  at  the  sound  of  the 
explosion,  but  did  not  seem  to  be  otherwise  incommoded 
by  Kennedy's  conical  bullet. 

"  You'd  have  done  better  if  you  had  harpooned  him," 
said  Joe. 

"  But  how  ?  " 

"  With  one  of  our  anchors.  It  would  have  been  a  hook 
Just  big  enough  for  such  a  rousing  beast  as  that !  " 

"  Humph ! "  ejaculated  Kennedy,  "  Joe  really  has  an 
idea  this  time — " 

"  Which  I  beg  of  you  not  to  put  into  execution,"  inter- 
posed the  doctor.  "  The  animal  would  very  quickly  have 
dragged  us  where  we  could  not  have  done  much  to  help 
ourselves,  and  where  we  have  no  business  to  be." 

"  Especially  now  since  we've  settled  the  question  as  to 
what  kind  of  water  there  is  in  Lake  Tchad.  Is  that  sort 
3f  fish  good  to  eat.  Dr.  Ferguson  ?  " 

"  That  fish,  as  you  call  it,  Joe,  is  really  a  raammiferous 
inimal  of  the  pachydermal  species.  Its  flesh  is  said  to  be 
excellent  and  is  an  article  of  important  trade  between  the 
tribes  living  along  the  borders  of  the  lake." 

"  Then  I'm  sorry  that  Mr.  Kennedy's  shot  didn't  do 
more  damage." 

"  The  animal  is  vulnerable  only  in  the  stomach  and  be- 
tween the  thighs.     Dick's  ball  hasn't  even  marked  him  ? 


250  FIVE  WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOOH. 

but  should  the  ground  strike  me  as  favorable,  we  shall  iiaU 
at  the  northern  end  of  the  lake,  where  Kennedy  will  find 
himself  in  the  midst  of  a  whole  menagerie,  and  can  make 
up  for  lost  time." 

"  Well,"  said  Joe,  "  I  hope  then  that  Mr.  Kennedy 
will  hunt  the  hippopotamus  a  little  ;  I'd  like  to  taste  the 
meat  of  that  queer-looking  beast.  It  doesn't  look  exactly 
natural  to  get  away  into  the  centre  of  Africa,  to  feed  ot 
saipe  and  partridge,  just  as  if  we  were  in  England." 


CHAPTER    TIHRTY-SECOKD. 

rhfl  Capital  of  Bornou.— Tho  Islands  of  the  Biddiomahs.— The  Condors.— The 
Doctor's  Anxieties.— His  Precautions. — An  Attack  in  Mid-air. — The  Balloon 
Covering  torn.— Tlie  Fall.— Sublime  Self-Sacriflce.— Tlie  Northern  Coast  ol 
the  Lake. 

SiKCE  its  arrival  at  Lake  Tchad,  the  balloon  had  struck 
a  current  that  edged  it  farther  to  the  westward.  A  few 
cloud  stempered  the  heat  of  the  day,  and,  besides,  a  little 
air  could  be  felt  ovej-  this  vast  expanse  of  water ;  but  about 
one  o'clock,  the  Victoria,  having  slanted  across  this  part 
of  the  lake,  again  advanced  over  the  land  for  a  space  of 
seven  or  eight  miles. 

The  doctor,  who  was  somewhat  vexed  at  first  at  this 
turn  of  his  course,  no  longer  thought  of  complaining  when 
he  caught  sight  of  the  city  of  Kouka,  the  capital  of  Bor- 
nou. He  saw  it  for  a  moment,  encircled  by  its  walls  of 
white  clay,  and  a  few  rudely-constructed  mosques  rising 
clumsily  above  that  conglomeration  of  houses  that  look 
like  playmg-dice,  which  form  most  Arab  towns.  In  the 
court-yards  of  the  private  dwellings,  and  on  the  public 
squares,  grew  palms  and  caoutchouc-trees  topped  with  a 
dome  of  foliage  more  than  one  hundred  feet  in  breadth. 
Joe  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  these  immense  para- 
sols were  in  proper  accordance  with  the  intense  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  made  thei-eon  some  pious  reflections  which  it 
were  needless  to  repeat. 

Kouka  really  consists  of  two  distinct  towns,  sepa- 
rated by  the  "  Dendal,"  a  large  boulevard  three  handref" 


252  FTTE   WEEKS    m   A  BALLOON. 

yards  wide,  at  that  hour  crowded  with  horsemen  and  foot 
passengers.  On  one  side,  the  rich  quarter  stands  sqaarely 
with  its  airy  and  lofty  houses,  laid  out  in  regular  order ; 
on  the  other,  is  huddled  together  the  poor  quarter,  a  mis- 
erable collection  of  low  hovels  of  a  conical  shape,  in  which 
a  poverty-stricken  multitude  vegetate  rather  than  live, 
since  Kouka  is  neither  a  trading  nor  a  commercial  city. 

Kennedy  tliought  it  looked  something  like  Edinburgh, 
were  that  city  extended  on  a  plain,  with  its  two  distinct 
boroughs. 

But  our  travellers  had  scarcely  the  time  to  catch  even 
this  glimpse  of  it,  for,  with  the  fickleness  that  character- 
izes the  aii"-currents  of  this  region,  a  contrary  wind  sud- 
denly swept  them  some  forty  miles  over  the  surface  of 
Lake  Tchad. 

They  then  were  regaled  with  a  new  spectacle.  They 
could  count  the  numerous  islets  of  the  lake,  inhabited  by 
the  Biddiomahs,  a  race  of  bloodthirsty  and  formidable 
pirates,  who  are  as  greatly  feared  when  neighbors  as  are 
the  Touregs  of  Sahara. 

These  estimable  people  were  in  readiness  to  receive  the 
Victoria  bravely  with  stones  and  arrows,  but  the  balloon 
quickly  passed  their  islands,  fluttering  over  them,  from  one 
to  the  other  with  butterfly  motion,  like  a  gigantic  beetle. 

At  this  moment,  Joe,  who  was  scanning  the  horizon, 
said  to  Kennedy : 

"  There,  sir,  as  you  are  always  thinking  of  good  sport, 
yonder  is  just  the  thing  for  you ! " 

"What  is  it,  Joe?" 

"This  time,  the  doctor  will  not  disapprove  of  youi 
shooting  ?  " 

"  But  what  is  it  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  see  that  flock  of  big  birds  malang  for  us?' 

"Birds?"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  snatching  his  spy 
glass. 


I 


A.   FLOCK   OF   C0ND0E8.  253 

"  I  see  them,"  replied  Kennedy ;  "  there  are  at  least  a 
dozen  of  them." 

"  Fourteen,  exactly ! "  said  Joe. 

"  Heaven  grant  that  they  may  be  of  a  kind  sufficiently 
noxious  for  the  doctor  to  let  me  peg  away  at  them  1 " 

"I  should  not  object,  but  I  would  much  rather  see 
those  birds  at  a  distance  from  us  ! " 

"  Why,  are  you  afraid  of  those  fowls  ?  " 

"They  are  condors,  and  of  the  largest  size.  Should 
they  attack  us — " 

"  Well,  if  they  do,  we'll  defend  ourselves.  We  have  a 
whole  arsenal  at  our  disposal  I  don't  think  those  birds 
are  so  very  formidable." 

"  Who  can  tell  ?  "  was  the  doctor's  only  remark. 

Ten  minutes  later,  the  flock  had  come  within  gunshot, 
and  were  making  the  air  ring  with  their  hoarse  cries.  They 
came  right  toward  the  Victoria,  more  irritated  than  fright- 
ened by  her  presence. 

"  How  they  scream  I     What  a  noise  I "  said  Joe. 

"  Perhaps  they  don't  like  to  see  anybody  poaching  in 
their  country  up  in  the  air,  or  daring  to  fly  like  them- 
selves ! " 

"  Well,  now,  to  tell  the  truth,  when  I  take  a  good  look 
at  them,  they  are  an  ugly,  ferocious  set,  and  I  should  think 
them  dangerous  enough  if  they  were  armed  with  Purdy 
Moore  rifles,"  admitted  Kennedy. 

"  They  have  no  need  of  such  weapons,"  said  Ferguson, 
looking  very  grave. 

The  condors  flew  aroimd  them  in  wide  circles,  their 
flight  growing  gradually  closer  and  closer  to  the  balloon. 
They  swept  through  the  air  in  rapid,  fantastic  curves, 
occasionally  precipitating  themselves  headlong  with  the 
speed  of  a  bullet,  and  then  breaking  their  line  of  projection 
by  an  abrupt  and  daring  angle. 

The  doctor,  much  disquieted,  resolved  to  ascend  so  an 


254  nvB  WEEKS  in  a  balloon. 

to  escape  this  dangerous  proximity.  He  therefore  dilated 
the  hydrogen  in  his  balloon,  and  it  rapidly  rose. 

But  the  condors  mounted  with  him,  apparently  deter- 
mined not  to  part  company. 

"  They  seem  to  mean  mischief  I "  said  the  hunter,  cook 
ing  his  rifle. 

And,  in  fact,  they  were  swooping  nearer,  and  more  than 
one  came  within  fifty  feet  of  them,  as  if  defying  the  fire- 
arms^ 

"  By  George,  I'm  itching  to  let  them  have  it  1 "  ex- 
claimed Kennedy. 

"  No,  Dick ;  not  now  I  Don't  exasperate  them  need- 
lessly.    That  would  only  be  exciting  them  to  attack  us  1 " 

"  But  I  could  soon  settle  those  fellows ! " 

"  Tou  may  think  so,  Dick.     But  you  are  wrong ! " 

"  Why,  we  have  a  bullet  for  each  of  them  !  " 

"  And  suppose  that  they  were  to  attack  the  upper  part 
of  the  balloon,  what  would  you  do  ?  How  would  you  get 
at  them  ?  Just  imagine  yourself  in  the  presence  of  a  troop 
of  lions  on  the  plain,  or  a  school  of  sharks  in  the  open 
ocean !  For  travellers  in  the  air,  this  situation  is  just  as 
dangerous." 

"  Are  you  speaking  seriously,  doctor  ?  " 

"  Very  seriously,  Dick." 

"  Let  us  wait,  then ! " 

"  Wait !  Hold  yourself  in  readiness  in  case  of  an  attack, 
but  do  not  fire  without  my  orders." 

The  birds  then  collected  at  a  short  distance,  yet  so 
near  that  their  naked  necks,  entirely  bare  of  feathers,  could 
be  plainly  seen,  as  they  stretched  them  out  with  the  efibrt 
of  their  cries,  while  their  gristly  crests,  garnished  with  a 
comb  and  gills  of  deep  violet,  stood  erect  with  rage.  They 
were  of  the  very  largest  size,  their  bodies  being  more  than 
three  feet  in  length,  and  the  lower  surface  of  their  whits 
vJugB  glittering  in  the  sunlight,    They  might  well  hs^vf 


THE  C0ND0K8  ATTACK  THE  BALLOON.       955 

been  cousidered  winged  sharks,  so  striking  was  their  re- 
semblance to  those  ferocious  rangers  of  tlie  deep. 

"  They  are  following  us  ! "  said  the  doctor,  as  he  saw 
them  ascending  with  him,  "  and,  mount  as  we  may,  they 
can  fly  still  higher  I " 

"  Well,  what  are  we  to  do  ?  '  asked  Kennedy. 

The  doctor  made  no  answer. 

"Listen,  Samuel!"  said  the  sportsman.  "There  are 
fourteen  of  those  birds ;  we  have  seventeen  shots  at  our 
disposal  if  we  discharge  all  our  weapons.  Have  we  not 
the  means,  then,  to  destroy  them  or  disperse  them?  I 
■will  give  a  good  account  of  some  of  them ! " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  your  skill,  Dick ;  I  look  upon  all 
as  dead  that  may  come  within  range  of  your  rifle,  but  I 
repeat  that,  if  they  attack  the  upper  part  of  the  balloon, 
you  could  not  get  a  sight  at  them.  They  would  tear  the 
silk  covering  that  sustains  us,  and  we  are  three  thousand 
feet  up  in  the  air !  " 

At  this  moment,  one  of  the  ferocious  birds  darted  right 
at  the  balloon,  with  outstretched  beak  and  claws,  ready  to 
rend  it  with  either  or  both. 

"  Fire !  fire  at  once ! "  cried  the  doctor. 

He  had  scarcely  ceased,  ere  the  huge  creature,  stricken 
dead,  dropped  headlong,  turning  over  and  over  in  space  as 
he  fell 

Kennedy  had  already  grasped  one  of  the  two-barrelh^d 
fowling-pieces  and  Joe  was  taking  aim  with  anotner. 

Frightened  by  the  report,  the  condors  drew  back  for  a 
moment,  but  they  almost  instantly  returned  to  the  charge 
with  extreme  fury.  Kennedy  severed  the  h6ad  of  one 
from  its  body  with  his  first  shot,  and  Joe  broke  the  wing 
of  another. 

"  Only  eleven  left,"  said  he. 

Thereupon  the  birds  changed  their  tactics,  and  by 
common   consent   soared  above  the  balloon.      Kennedy 

w* 


856  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A   BALLOON. 

glanced  at  Ferguson.  The  latter,  in  spite  of  his  impertur 
bability,  grew  pale.  Then  ensued  a  moment  of  terrifying 
Bilence.  In  the  next  they  heard  a  harsh  tearing  noise,  as 
of  something  rending  the  silk,  and  the  car  seemed  to  sink 
from  beneath  the  feet  of  our  three  aeronauts. 

"  "We  are  lost ! "  exclaimed  Ferguson,  glancing  at  the 
barometer,  which  was  now  swiftly  rising. 

"  Over  with  the  ballast ! "  he  shouted,  "  over  with  it ! " 

And  in  a  few  seconds  the  last  lumps  of  quartz  had  difl- 
appeared. 

"  We  are  still  falling  1  Empty  the  water-tanks  I  Do 
you  hear  me,  Joe  ?    We  are  pitching  into  the  lake ! " 

Joe  obeyed.  The  doctor  leaned  over  and  looked  out. 
The  lake  seemed  to  come  up  toward  him  like  a  rising  tide. 
Every  object  around  grew  rapidly  in  size  while  they  were 
looking  at  it.  The  car  was  not  two  hundred  feet  from  the 
surface  of  Lake  Tchad. 

"  The  provisions !  the  provisions  1 "  cried  the  doctor. 

And  the  box  containing  them  was  launched  into 
space. 

Their  descent  became  less  rapid,  but  the  luckless 
aeronauts  were  still  falling,  and  into  the  lake. 

"  Throw  out  something — something  more  I "  cried  the 
doctor. 

"There  is  nothing  more  to  throw  1"  was  Kennedy' 
despairing  response.  « 

"  Yes,  there  is ! "  called  Joe,  and  with  a  wave  of  the 
hand  he  disappeared  like  a  flash,  over  the  edge  of  the  car. 

"  Joe !  Joe ! "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  horror-stricken. 

The  Victoria  thus  relieved  resumed  her  ascending  mo- 
tion, mounted  a  thousand  feet  into  the  air,  and  the  wind, 
burying  itself  in  the  disinflated  covering,  bore  them  away 
toward  the  northern  part  of  the  lake. 

"  Lost  I "  exclaimed  the  sportsman,  with  a  gesture  of 
despair. 


joe's  self-saoetficb.  357 

**  Lost  to  Bave  us  1 "  responded  Fergnson. 

And  these  men,  intrepid  as  they  were,  felt  tne  largo 
tears  streaming  down  their  cheeks.  They  leaned  ov('i 
with  the  vain  hope  of  seeing  some  trace  of  their  heroic 
companion,  but  they  were  already  far  away  from  him. 

"  What  course  shall  we  pursue  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Alight  as  soon  as  possible,  Dick,  and  then  wait." 

After  a  sweep  of  some  sixty  miles  the  Victoria  halted 
on  a  desert  shore,  on  the  north  of  the  lake.  The  anchors 
caught  in  a  low  tree  and  the  sportsman  fastened  it  secure- 
ly. Night  came,  but  neither  Ferguson  nor  Kennedy  could 
find  one  moment's  sleep. 


CnAPTER  TIiniTY-TIirRD. 

Oonlecmres. — ReSstaWishtnent  of  the  Victoria's  Eqnilibrinm. — Dr.  Fet^son'i 

New   Calculations.— Kennedy's  Ilnnt.— A  Complete  Exploration   of  L&ka 
Tchad,— Tangalia.— The  Return.- LarL 

On  the  morrow,  the  13  th  of  May,  o\a>  travellers,  for 
the  first  time,  reconnoitred  the  part  of  the  coast  on  which 
they  had  landed.  It  was  a  sort  of  island  of  solid  ground 
in  the  midst  of  an  immense  marsh.  Around  this  fragment 
of  terra  Jirma  grew  reeds  as  lofty  as  trees  are  in  Europe, 
and  stretching  away  out  of  sight. 

These  impenetrable  swamps  gave  security  to  the  posi- 
tion of  the  balloon.  It  was  necessary  to  watch  only  the 
borders  of  the  lake.  The  vast  stretch  of  water  broadened 
away  from  the  spot,  especially  toward  the  east,  and  noth- 
ing could  be  seen  on  the  hoiizon,  neither  mainland  nor 
islands. 

The  two  friends  had  not  yet  ventured  to  speak  of  their 
recent  companion.  Kennedy  first  imparted  his  conjectures 
to  the  doctor. 

"  Perhaps  Joe  is  not  lost  after  all,"  he  said.  "  He  was 
a  skilful  lad,  and  had  few  equals  as  a  swimmer.  He  would 
find  no  difficulty  in  swimming  across  the  Frith  of  Forth  at 
Edinburgh.  We  shall  see  him  again — but  how  and  where 
I  know  not.  Let  us  omit  nothing  on  our  part  to  give  him 
the  chance  of  rejoining  us." 

"  May  God  grant  it  as  you  say,  Dick  I "  replied  the 
doctor,  with  much  emotion.  "We  shall  do  every  thing  in 
the  world  to  find  out  lost  friend  again.     Let  us,  in  the  first 


EEPAHEING   DAMAGES.  259 

place,  see  where  we  are.  But,  above  all  things,  let  us  rid 
the  Victoria  of  this  outside  covering,  which  is  of  no  further 
use.  That  will  relieve  us  of  six  hundred  and  fifty  pounds, 
a  weight  not  to  be  despised — and  the  end  is  worth  the 
trouble ! " 

The  doctor  and  Kennedy  went  to  work  at  once,  but 
they  encountered  great  difficulty.  They  had  to  tear  the 
strong  silk  away  piece  by  piece,  and  then  cut  it  in  narrow 
strips  so  as  to  extricate  it  from  the  meshes  of  the  network. 
The  tear  made  by  the  beaks  of  the  condors  was  found  to 
be  several  feet  in  length. 

This  operation  took  at  least  four  hours,  but  at  length 
the  inner  balloon  once  completely  extricated  did  not  appear 
to  have  suifered  in  the  least  degree.  The  Victoria  was 
thus  diminished  in  size  by  one  fifth,  and  this  diflerence 
was  sufficiently  noticeable  to  excite  Kennedy's  surprise. 

"  Will  it  be  large  enough  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Have  no  fears  on  that  score,  I  will  reestablish  the 
equilibrium,  and  should  our  poor  Joe  return  we  shall  find 
a  way  to  start  off  with  him  again  on  our  old  route." 

"  At  the  moment  of  our  fall,  unless  I  am  mistaken,  we 
were  not  far  from  an  island." 

"  Yes,  I  recollect  it,"  said  the  doctor,  "  but  that  island, 
like  all  the  islands  on  Lake  Tchad,  is,  no  doubt,  inhabited 
by  a  gang  of  pirates  and  murderers.  They  certainly  wit- 
nessed our  misfortune,  and  should  Joe  fall  into  their 
hands,  what  will  become  of  him  unless  protected  by  their 
superstitions  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he's  just  the  lad  to  get  safely  out  of  the  scrape, 
I  repeat.  I  have  great  confidence  in  his  shrewdness  and 
skill" 

"  I  hope  so.  Now,  Dick,  you  may  go  and  hunt  in  the 
neighborhood,  but  don't  get  far  away  whatever  you  do. 
It  has  become  a  pressing  necessity  for  us  to  renew  our 
stock  of  provisions,  since  we  had  to  sacrifice  Dearly  all  the 
old  lot" 


260  UTTH  WITEKS   OT   A   BAiLOOST. 

"  Very  good,  doctor,  I  shall  not  be  long  absent.** 

Hereupon,  Kennedy  took  a  double-barrelled  fowling- 
piece,  and  strode  through  the  long  grass  toward  a  thicket 
not  far  oiF,  where  the  frequent  sound  of  shooting  soon  let 
the  doctor  know  that  the  sportsman  was  making  a  good 
use  of  his  time. 

Meanwhile  Ferguson  was  engaged  in  calculating  the 
relative  weight  of  the  articles  still  left  in  the  car,  and  in 
establishing  the  equipoise  of  the  second  balloon.  He  found 
that  there  were  still  left  some  thirty  pounds  of  pemmican, 
a  supply  of  tea  and  coffee,  about  a  gallon  and  a  half  of 
brandy,  and  one  empty  water-tank.  All  the  dried  meat 
had  disappeared. 

The  doctor  was  aware  that,  by  the  loss  of  the  hydrogen 
in  the  first  balloon,  the  ascensional  force  at  his  disposal 
was  now  reduced  to  about  nine  hundred  pounds.  He 
therefore  had  to  count  upon  this  difference  in  order  to  re- 
arrange his  equilibrium.  The  new  balloon  measured  sixty- 
seven  thousand  cubic  feet,  and  contained  thirty-three 
thousand  four  hundred  and  eiglity  feet  of  gas.  The  dilat- 
ing apparatus  appeared  to  be  in  good  condition,  and  nei- 
ther the  battery  nor  the  spiral  had  been  injured. 

The  ascensional  force  of  the  new  balloon  was  then 
about  three  thousand  pounds,  and,  in  adding  together  th 
weight  of  the  apparatus,  of  the  passengers,  of  the  stock  of 
water,  of  the  car  and  its  accessories,  and  putting  aboard 
fifty  gallons  of  water,  and  one  hundred  pounds  of  fresh 
meat,  the  doctor  got  a  total  weight  of  twenty-eight  hun- 
dred and  thirty  pounds.  He  could  then  take  with  him  one 
hundred  and  seventy  pounds  of  ballast,  for  unforeseen 
emergencies,  and  the  balloon  would  be  in  exact  balance 
with  the  surrounding  atmosphere. 

His  arrangements  were  completed  accordingly,  and  he 
made  up  for  Joe's  weight  with  a  surplus  of  ballast.  He 
spent  the  whole  day  in  these  preparations,  and  the  latter 


8EAB0H    FOB  /0«.  261 

were  finished  vrhen  Kennedy  returned.  The  hunter  had 
been  successful,  and  brought  back  a  regular  cargo  of  geese, 
wild-duck,  snipe,  teal,  and  plover.  He  went  to  work  at 
once  to  draw  and  smoke  the  game.  Each  piece,  suspend- 
ed on  a  small,  thin  skewer,  was  hung  over  a  fire  of  green 
wood.  When  they  seemed  in  good  order,  Kennedy,  who 
was  perfectly  at  home  in  the  business,  packed  them  away 
in  the  car. 

On  the  morrow,  the  hunter  was  to  complete  his  sup- 
plies. 

Evening  surprised  our  travellers  in  the  midst  of  this 
woiV.  Their  supper  consisted  of  pemmican,  biscuit,  and 
tea  and  fatigue,  after  having  given  them  appetite,  brought 
thdTti  sleep.  Each  of  them  strained  eyes  and  ears  into  the 
gl  »)m  during  his  watch,  sometimes  fancying  that  they 
hoard  the  voice  of  poor  Joe ;  but,  alas !  the  voice  that 
iL-.j  so  longed  to  hear,  was  faraway. 

At  the  first  streak  of  day,  the  doctor  aroused  Kennedy. 

"  I  have  been  long  and  carefully  considering  what 
should  be  done,"  said  he,  "  to  find  our  companion." 

"  Whatever  your  plan  may  be,  doctor,  it  will  smt  me. 
Speak ! " 

"  Above  all  things,  it  is  important  that  Joe  should  hear 
from  us  in  some  way." 

"  Undoubtedly.  Suppose  the  brave  fellow  should  take 
it  into  his  head  that  we  have  abandoned  him  ?  " 

"  He !  He  knows  us  too  well  for  that.  Such  a  thought 
would  never  come  into  his  mind.  But  he  must  be  in- 
formed  as  to  where  we  are." 

"  How  can  that  be  managed  ?  " 

"  We  shall  get  into  our  car  and  be  ofi"  again  through 
the  air." 

"  But,  should  the  wind  bear  us  away  ?  " 

"Happily,  it  will  not.  See,  Dick!  it  is  carrying  us 
back  to  the   lake ;  and  this  circumstance,  which  would 


262  FTVB   WEEKS    TSf   A   BALLOOBf. 

have  been  vexatious  yesterday,  is  fortucate  now.  Out 
efforts,  then,  will  be  limited  to  keeping  ourselves  above 
that  vast  sheet  of  water  throughout  the  day.  Joe  cannot 
fail  to  see  us,  and  his  eyes  will  be  constantly  on  the  look- 
out in  that  direction.  Perhaps  he  will  even  manage  to 
let  us  know  the  place  of  his  retreat." 

"If  he  be  alone  and  at  liberty,  he  certainly  will." 
"  And  if  a  prisoner,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  it  not  being 
the  practice  of  the  natives  to  confine  their  captives,  he  will 
Bee  us,  and  comprehend  the  object  of  our  researches." 

"  But,  at  last,"  put  in  Kennedy — "  for  we  must  antici- 
pate every  thing — should  we  find  no  trace — if  he  should 
have  left  no  mark  to  follow  him  by,  what  are  we  to  do  ?  " 
"We  shall  endeavor  to  regain  the  northern  part  of 
the  lake,  keeping  ourselves  as  much  in  sight  as  possible. 
There  we'll  wait ;  we'll  explore  the  banks ;  we'll  search 
the  water's  edge,  for  Joe  will  assuredly  try  to  reach  the 
shore ;  and  we  will  not  leave  the  country  without  having 
done  every  thing  to  find  him," 

"  Let  us  set  out,  then ! "  said  the  hunter. 
The  doctor  hereupon  took  the  exact  bearings  of  the 
patch  of  solid  land  they  were  about  to  leave,  and  arrived 
at  the  conclusion  that  it  lay  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake 
Tchad,  between  the  village  of  Lari  and  the  village  of 
lugemini,  both  visited  by  Major  Denham.  During  this 
time  Kennedy  was  completing  his  stock  of  fresh  meat. 
Although  the  neighboring  marshes  showed  traces  of  the 
rhinoceros,  the  lamautine  (or  manatee)^  and  the  hippopot- 
amus, he  had  no  opportunity  to  see  a  single  specimen  of 
those  animals. 

At  seven  in  the  morning,  but  not  without  great  diffi- 
culty— which  to  Joe  would  have  been  nothing — the  bal- 
loon's anchor  was  detached  from  its  hold,  the  gas  dilated, 
and  the  new  ViHoria  rose  two  hundred  feet  into  the  air. 
It  seemed  to  hesitate  at  first,  and  went  spinning  around, 


NO   BIGN    OF    HIM   TO   BE   BKKS.  263 

like  a  top ;  but  at  last  a  brisk  current  caught  it,  and  it 
advanced  over  the  lake,  and  was  soon  borne  away  at  a 
speed  of  twenty  miles  per  hour. 

The  doctor  continued  to  keep  at  a  height  of  from  two 
hundred  to  five  hundred  feet.  Kennedy  frequently  dis- 
charged his  rifle ;  and,  when  passing  over  islands,  the 
aeronauts  approached  them  even  imprudently,  scrutinizing 
the  thickets,  the  bushes,  the  underbrush — in  fine,  every  spot 
where  a  mass  of  shade  or  jutting  rock  could  have  afibrded 
a  retreat  to  their  companion.  They  swooped  down  close 
to  the  long  pirogues  that  navigated  the  lake;  and  the 
wild  fishermen,  terrified  at  the  sight  of  the  balloon,  would 
plunge  into  the  water  and  regain  their  islands  with  every 
symptom  of  undisguised  aff'riglit. 

"  We  can  see  nothing,"  said  Kennedy,  after  two  hours 
of  search. 

"Let  us  wait  a  little  longer,  Dick,  and  not  lose  heart. 
We  cannot  be  far  away  from  the  scene  of  our  accident." 

By  eleven  o'clock  the  balloon  had  gone  ninety  miles. 
It  then  fell  in  with  a  new  current,  which,  blowing  almost 
at  riffht  anffles  to  the  other,  drove  them  eastward  about 
sixty  miles.  It  next  floated  over  a  very  large  and  popu- 
lous island,  which  the  doctor  took  to  be  Farram,  on  ■v\4iich 
the  capital  of  the  Biddiomahs  is  situated.  Ferguson  ex- 
pected at  every  moment  to  see  Joe  spring  up  out  of  some 
thicket,  flying  for  his  life,  and  calling  for  help.  Were  he 
free,  they  could  pick  him  up  without  trouble ;  were  he  a 
prisoner,  they  could  rescue  him  by  repeating  the  mana?uvre 
they  had  practised  to  save  the  missionary,  and  he  would 
soon  be  with  his  friends  again ;  but  nothing  was  seen,  not 
a  sound  was  heard.     The  case  seemed  desperate. 

About  half-past  two  o'clock,  the  Victoria  hove  in  sight 
of  Tangaha,  a  village  situated  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Lake  Tchad,  where  it  marks  the  extreme  point  attained 
by  Denham  at  the  period  of  his  exploration. 
12 


264  Tvrs  WEEKS  m  a  ballooit. 

The  doctor  became  uneasy  at  this  persistent  setting 
of  the  wind  in  that  direction,  for  he  felt  that  he  was  being 
thrown  back  to  the  eastward,  toward  the  centre  of  Africa, 
and  tlie  interminable  deserts  of  that  region. 

"  We  must  absolutely  come  to  a  halt,"  said  he,  "  and 
even  alight.  For  Joe's  sake,  particularly,  we  ought  to 
go  back  to  the  lake ;  but,  to  begin  with,  let  us  endeavor 
to  find  an  opposite  current." 

During:  more  than  an  hour  he  searched  at  different 
altitudes :  the  balloon  always  came  back  toward  the  main- 
land. But  at  length,  at  the  height  of  a  thousand  feet,  a 
very  violent  breeze  swept  to  the  northwestward. 

It  was  out  of  the  question  that  Joe  should  have  been 
detained  on  one  of  the  islands  of  the  lake ;  for,  in  such  case, 
he  would  certainly  have  found  means  to  make  his  presence 
there  known.  Perhaps  he  had  been  dragged  to  the  main- 
land. The  doctor  was  reasoning  thus  to  himself,  when  he 
again  came  in  sight  of  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Tchad. 

As  for  supposing  that  Joe  had  been  drowned,  that  was 
not  to  be  believed  for  a  moment.  One  horrible  thought 
glanced  across  the  minds  of  both  Kennedy  and  the  doc- 
tor :  caymans  swarm  in  these  waters !  But  neither  one 
nor  the  other  had  the  courage  to  distinctly  communicate 
this  impression.  However,  it  came  up  to  them  so  forcibly 
at  last  that  the  doctor  said,  without  further  preface : 

"Crocodiles  are  found  only  on  the  shores  of  the  isl- 
ands or  of  the  lake,  and  Joe  will  have  skill  enough  to  avoid 
them.  Besides,  they  are  not  very  dangerous;  and  the 
Africans  bathe  with  impunity,  and  quite  fearless  of  their 
attacks." 

Kennedy  made  no  reply.  He  preferred  keeping  quiet 
to  discussing  this  terrible  possibility. 

The  doctor  made  out  the  town  of  Lari  about  five 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  inhabitants  were  at  work 
gathering  in  their  cotton-crop  in  front  of  their  huts,  con- 


DE8PAIEING.  265 

•tructed  of  woven  reeds,  and  standing  in  the  midst  of  clean 
and  neatly-kept  enclosures.  This  collection  of  about  fifty 
habitations  occupied  a  slight  depression  of  the  soil,  in  a 
valley  extending  between  two  low  mountains.  The  force 
of  the  wind  carried  the  doctor  farther  onward  than  he 
wanted  to  go;  but  it  changed  a  second  time,  and  bore 
him  back  exactly  to  his  starting-point,  on  the  sort  of  en- 
closed island  where  he  had  passed  the  preceding  night. 
The  anchor,  instead  of  catching  the  branches  of  the  tree, 
took  hold  in  the  masses  of  reeds  mixed  with  the  thick  mud 
of  the  marshes,  which  ofiered  considerable  resistance. 

The  doctor  had  much  difficulty  in  restraining  the  bal- 
loon ;  but  at  length  the  wind  died  away  with  the  setting 
in  of  nightfall ;  and  the  two  friends  kept  watch  togethei 
in  »n  almost  desperate  state  of  mind. 


CHAPTER    TllUiTY -FOURTH. 

rtie  Hurricane.— A  Forced  Departtire.— Lobs  of  an  ABchor.— Melancholy  Reflec- 
tions.—The  Resolution  adopted.— The  Sand-Storm.— The  Buried  Caravan.— 
A  Contrary  yet  Favorable  Wind.— The  Return  Bouthward.— Kennedy  at  hll 
Post 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  wind  was  raging. 
It  heat  down  with  such  violence  that  the  Victoria  could 
not  stay  near  the  ground  without  danger.  It  was  thrown 
almost  flat  over  upon  its  side,  and  the  reeds  chafed  the 
silk  so  roughly  that  it  seemed  as  though  they  would  tear  it. 

"  We  must  be  off,  Dick,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  we  cannot 
remain  in  this  situation." 

"  But,  doctor,  what  of  Joe  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  likely  to  abandon  him.  No,  indeed  1  and 
should  the  huiricane  carry  me  a  thousand  miles  to  the 
northward,  I  will  return  1  But  here  we  are  endangering 
the  safety  of  alL" 

"Must  we  go  without  him?"  asked  the  Scot,  with  an 
accent  of  profound  grie£ 

"And  do  you  think,  then,"  rejoined  Ferguson,  "that 
my  heart  does  not  bleed  like  your  own  ?  Am  I  not  merely 
obeying  an  imperious  necessity  ?  " 

"I  am  entirely  at  your  orders,"  replied  the  hunter; 
"let  us  start!" 

But  their  departure  was  surrounded  with  unusual  diffi- 
culty. The  anchor,  which  had  caught  very  deeply,  re- 
sisted all  their  efforts  to  disengage  it ;  while  the  balloon, 
drawing  in  the  opposite  direction,  increased  its  tension. 


MKUlHOHOLT   EEFLE0TI0N8.  267 

Kennedy  could  not  get  it  free.  Besides,  in  his  present 
position,  the  manoeuvre  had  become  a  very  perilous  one, 
for  the  Victoria  threatened  to  break  away  before  he  should 
be  able  to  get  into  the  car  again. 

The  doctor,  unwilling  to  run  such  a  risk,  made  his 
friend  get  into  his  place,  and  resigned  himself  to  the  alter- 
Qative  of  cutting  the  anchor-rope.  The  Victoria  made 
one  bound  of  three  hundred  feet  into  the  air,  and  took  her 
route  directly  northward. 

Ferguson  had  no  other  choice  than  to  scud  before  the 
storm.  He  folded  his  arms,  and  soon  became  absorbed  in 
his  own  melancholy  reflections. 

After  a  few  moments  of  profomid  silence,  he  turned  to 
Kennedy,  who  sat  there  no  less  taciturn. 

"  We  have,  perhaps,  been  tempting  Providence,"  said 
he;  "it  does  not  belong  to  man  to  undertake  such  a  jour- 
ney 1 " — and  a  sigh  of  grief  escaped  him  as  he  spoke. 

"  It  is  but  a  few  days,"  replied  the  sportsman,  "  since 
we  were  congratulating  ourselves  upon  having  escaped  so 
many  dangers  !     All  three  of  us  were  shaking  hands  1 " 

"  Poor  Joe !  kindly  and  excellent  disposition !  brave 
and  candid  heart !  Dazzled  for  a  moment  by  his  sudden 
discovery  of  wealth,  he  willingly  sacrificed  his  treasures ! 
And  now,  he  is  far  from  us ;  and  the  wind  is  carrying  us 
still  farther  away  with  resistless  speed ! " 

"  Come,  doctor,  admitting  that  he  may  have  found 
refuge  among  the  lake  tribes,  can  he  not  do  as  the  travel- 
lers who  visited  them  before  us,  did ; — like  Denham,  like 
"Rarth  ?   Both  of  those  men  got  back  to  their  own  country." 

"Ah I  my  dear  Dick !  Joe  doesn't  know  one  word  of 
the  language ;  he  is  alone,  and  without  resources.  The 
travellers  of  whom  you  speak  did  not  attempt  to  go  for- 
ward without  sending  many  presents  in  advance  of  them 
to  the  chiefs,  and  surrounded  by  an  escort  armed  and 
trained  for  these  expeditions.     Yet,  they  could  not  avoid 

x» 


968  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A   BALLOON. 

Bufferings  of  the  worst  description  !  What,  then,  can  fon 
expect  the  fate  of  our  companion  to  be  ?  It  is  horrible  to 
think  of,  and  this  is  one  of  the  worst  calamities  that  it  has 
ever  been  my  lot  to  endure  ! " 

"  But,  we'll  come  back  again,  doctor  I " 

"  Come  back,  Dick  ?  Yes,  if  we  have  to  abandon  the 
balloon  !  if  we  should  be  forced  to  return  to  Lake  Tchad 
on  foot,  and  put  ourselves  in  communication  with  the 
Sultan  of  Bornou !  The  Arabs  cannot  have  retained  a  dis- 
agreeable remembrance  of  the  first  Europeans." 

"  I  will  follow  you,  doctor,"  replied  the  hunter,  with 
emphasis.  "  You  may  count  upon  me  I  We  would  rather 
give  up  the  idea  of  prosecuting  this  journey  than  not  re- 
turn. Joe  forgot  himself  for  our  sake ;  we  will  sacrifice 
ourselves  for  his  ! " 

This  resolve  revived  some  hope  in  the  hearts  of  these 
two  men ;  they  felt  strong  in  the  same  inspiration.  Fer- 
guson forthwith  set  every  thing  at  work  to  get  into  a  con- 
trary current,  that  might  bring  him  back  again  to  Lake 
Tchad ;  but  this  was  impracticable  at  that  moment,  and 
even  to  alight  was  out  of  the  question  on  ground  com- 
pletely bare  of  trees,  and  with  such  a  hurricane  blow- 
ing. 

The  Victoria  thus  passed  over  the  country  of  the  Tib- 
bous,  crossed  the  Belad  el  Djerid,  a  desert  of  briers  that 
forms  the  border  of  the  Soudan,  and  advanced  into  the 
desert  of  sand  streaked  with  the  long  tracks  of  the  many 
caravans  that  pass  and  repass  there.  The  last  line  of  vege- 
tation was  speedily  lost  in  the  dim  southern  horizon,  not  far 
from  the  principal  oasis  ia  this  part  of  Africa,  whose  fifty 
wells  are  shaded  by  magnificent  trees ;  but  it  was  impos- 
sible to  stop.  An  Arab  encampment,  tents  of  striped 
stufl^  some  camels,  stretching  out  their  viper-like  heads 
and  necks  along  the  sand,  gave  life  to  this  solitude,  but 
the  Victon'/z  sped  by  like  a  shooting-star,  and  in  this  way 


THE   SIMOOM.  269 

traversed  a  distance  of  sixty  miles  ia  three  hours,  without 
Ferguson  being  able  to  check  or  guide  her  course. 

"  We  cannot  halt,  we  cannot  alight ! "  said  the  doc- 
tor ;  "  not  a  tree,  not  an  inequality  of  the  ground !  Are 
we  then  to  be  driven  clear  across  Sahara  ?  Surely,  Heaven 
is  indeed  against  us ! " 

He  "was  uttering  these  words  with  a  sort  of  despairing 
rage,  when  suddenly  he  saw  the  desert  sands  rising  aloft 
in  the  midst  of  a  dense  cloud  of  dust,  and  go  whirling 
through  the  air,  impelled  by  opposing  currents. 

Amid  this  tornado,  an  entire  caravan,  disorganized, 
broken,  and  overthrown,  was  disappearing  beneath  an 
avalanche  of  sand.  The  camels,  flimg  pell-mell  together, 
were  uttering  dull  and  pitiful  groans ;  cries  and  howls  of 
despair  were  heard  issuing  from  that  dusty  and  stifling 
cloud,  and,  from  time  to  time,  a  parti-colored  garment  cut 
the  chaos  of  the  scene  with  its  vivid  hues,  and  the  moaning 
and  shrieking  sounded  over  all,  a  terrible  accompaniment 
to  this  spectacle  of  destruction. 

Ere  long  the  sand  had  accumulated  in  compact  masses ; 
and  there,  where  so  recently  stretched  a  level  plain  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  see,  rose  now  a  ridgy  line  of  hillocks, 
still  moving  from  beneath — the  vast  tomb  of  an  entire 
caravan ! 

The  doctor  and  Kennedy,  pallid  with  emotion,  sat 
transfixed  by  this  fearful  spectacle.  They  could  no  longer 
manage  their  balloon,  which  went  wMi'ling  round  and 
round  in  contending  currents,  and  refused  to  obey  the 
different  dilations  of  the  gas.  Caught  in  these  eddies  of 
the  atmosphere,  it  spun  about  with  a  rapidity  that  made 
their  heads  reel,  while  the  car  oscillated  and  swung  to  and 
fro  violently  at  the  same  time.  The  instilments  suspended 
under  the  awning  clattered  together  as  though  they  would 
be  dashed  to  pieces ;  the  pipes  of  the  spiral  bent  to  and  fro, 
threatening  to  break  at  every  instant ;  and  the  water-tank» 


270  ilYE   WEEKS    m   A   BALLOOBT. 

jostled  and  jarred  with  tremendous  din.  Although  but 
two  feet  apart,  our  aeronauts  could  not  hear  each  other 
speak,  but  with  firmly-clinched  hands  they  clung  convul- 
sively to  the  cordage,  and  endeavored  to  steady  themselves 
against  the  fury  of  the  tempest. 

Kenredy,  with  his  hair  blown  wildly  about  his  face, 
.ooked  on  without  speaking ;  but  the  doctor  had  regained 
all  his  daring  in  the  midst  of  this  deadly  peril,  and  not  a 
sign  of  his  emotion  was  betrayed  in  his  countenance,  even 
when,  after  a  last  violent  twirl,  the  Victoria  stopped  sud- 
denly in  the  midst  of  a  most  unlooked-for  calm;  the  north 
wind  had  abruptly  got  the  upper  hand,  and  now  drove  her 
back  with  equal  rapidity  over  the  route  she  had  traversed 
in  the  morning. 

"  Wbither  are  we  going  now  ?  "  cried  Kennedy. 

"  Let  us  leave  that  to  Providence,  my  dear  Dick ;  I 
was  wrong  in  doubting  it.  It  knows  better  than  we,  and 
here  we  are,  returning  to  places  that  we  had  expected 
never  to  see  again ! " 

The  surface  of  the  country,  which  had  looked  so  flat 
and  level  when  they  were  coming,  now  seemed  tossed  and 
uneven,  like  the  ocean-billows  after  a  storm ;  a  long  suc- 
cession of  hillocks,  that  had  scarcely  settled  to  their  places 
yet,  indented  the  desert ;  the  wind  blew  furiously,  and  the 
oalloon  fairly  flew  through  the  atmosphere. 

The  direction  taken  by  our  aeronauts  diflered  some- 
what from  that  of  the  morning,  and  thus  about  nine  o'clock, 
instead  of  finding  themselves  again  near  the  borders  of 
Lake  Tchad,  they  saw  the  desert  still  stretching  away  be- 
fore them. 

Kennedy  remarked  the  circumstance. 

"  It  matters  little,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  the  important 
point  is  to  return  southward ;  we  shall  come  across  the 
tOAvns  of  Bomou,  TVouddie,  or  Kouka,  and  I  should  not 
hesitate  to  halt  there," 


OW   THE   LOOKOUT.  271 

**  If  yon  are  satisfied,  I  am  content,**  replied  the  Scot, 
•*  but  Heaven  grant  that  "we  may  not  be  reduced  to  cross 
the  desert,  as  those  unfortunate  Arabs  had  to  do  I  What 
we  saw  was  frightful ! " 

"  It  often  happens,  Dick ;  these  trips  across  the  desert 
are  far  more  perilous  than  those  across  the  ocean.  The 
desert  has  all  the  dangers  of  the  sea,  including  the  risk  of 
being  swallowed  up,  and  added  thereto  are  unendurable 
fatigues  and  privations." 

"  I  think  the  wind  shows  some  symptoms  of  moderat- 
ing ;  the  sand-dust  is  less  dense ;  the  undulations  of  the 
surface  are  diminishing,  and  the  sky  is  g^o^ving  clearer." 

"  So  much  the  better  I  We  must  now  reconnoitre  at- 
tentively with  our  glasses,  and  take  care  not  to  omit  a 
single  point." 

"  I  will  look  out  for  that,  doctor,  and  not  a  tree  shall 
be  seen  without  my  informing  you  of  it." 

And,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Kennedy  took  his 
■tation,  spy-glass  in  hand,  at  the  forwai-d  part  of  the  oar. 


\ 


CHAPTER    THIRTY-FIFTH. 

Wlutt  happened  to  Joe. — The  Island  of  the  Biddiomahs. — The  Adoration  Bbows 
him.— The  Island  that  sank.— The  Shores  of  the  Lake.— The  Tree  of  the  Sep- 
pentB.— The  Foot-Tramp.— Terrible  Snffering.— Mosqnitoes  and  Ants. — 
Hanger.— The  Victoria  seen.— She  disappears. — Tho  Swamp. — One  Last 
Despairing  Cry. 

"What  had  become  of  Joe,  while  his  master  was  thug 
vainly  seeking  for  him  ? 

When  he  had  daslted  headlong  into  the  lake,  his  first 
movement  on  coming  to  the  surface  was  to  raise  his  eyes 
and  look  upward.  He  saw  the  Victoria  already  risen  far 
above  the  water,  still  rapidly  ascending  and  growing 
smaller  and  smaller.  It  was  soon  caught  in  a  rapid  cur- 
rent and  disappeared  to  the  northward.  TTis  master — both 
his  friends  were  saved  ! 

"  How  lucky  it  was,"  thought  he,  "  that  I  had  that 
idea  to  throw  myself  out  into  the  lake  1  Mr.  Kennedy 
would  soon  have  jumped  at  it,  and  he  would  not  have 
Hesitated  to  do  as  I  did,  for  nothing's  more  natural  than 
for  one  man  to  give  himseK  up  to  save  two  others.  That's 
mathematics  ! " 

Satisfied  on  this  point,  Joe  began  to  think  of  himself. 
He  was  in  the  middle  of  a  vast  lake,  surrounded  by  tribes 
unknown  to  him,  and  probably  ferocious.  All  the  greater 
reason  why  he  should  get  out  of  the  scrape  by  depending 
only  on  himself.  And  so  he  gave  himseli  no  farther  con 
cem  about  it. 

Before  the  attack  by  the  birds  of  prey,  wUich.  accord 


JOB   MEETS    A   OEOCODILE.  273 

ing  to  him,  Ijad  behaved  like  real  condors,  he  had  noticed 
an  island  on  the  horizon,  and  determining  to  reach  it,  if 
possible,  he  put  forth  all  his  knowledge  and  skill  in  the  aii 
of  swimming,  afler  having  relieved  himself  of  the  most 
troublesome  part  of  his  clothing.  The  idea  of  a  stretch 
of  five  or  six  miles  by  no  means  disconcerted  him ;  and 
therefore,  so  long  as  he  was  in  the  open  lake,  he  thought 
only  of  striking  out  straight  ahead  and  manfully. 

In  about  an  hour  and  a  half  the  distance  between  him 
and  the  island  had  greatly  diminished. 

But  as  he  approached  the  land,  a  thought,  at  first  fleet- 
ing and  then  tenacious,  arose  in  his  mini  He  knew  that 
the  shores  of  the  lake  were  frequented  by  huge  alligators, 
and  was  well  aware  of  the  voracity  of  those  monsters. 

Now,  no  matter  how  much  he  was  inclined  to  find 
every  thing  in  this  world  quite  natural,  the  worthy  fellow 
was  no  little  disturbed  by  this  reflection.  He  feared  great- 
ly lest  white  flesh  like  his  might  be  particularly  acceptable 
to  the  dreaded  brutes,  and  advanced  only  with  extreme 
precaution,  his  eyes  on  the  alert  on  both  sides  and  <ill 
around  him.  At  length,  he  was  n  3t  more  than  one  hun- 
dred yards  from  a  bank,  covered  with  green  trees,  when 
a  pufi"  of  air  strongly  impregnated  with  a  musky  odor 
reached  him. 

"  There  ! "  said  he  to  hunself,  "just  what  I  expected- 
The  crocodile  isn't  far  ofi"! " 

With  this  he  dived  SAviftly,  but  not  sxxfSciently  so  tc 
avoid  coming  into  contact  with  an  enormous  body,  tho 
Sf*aly  surface  of  which  scratched  him  as  he  passed.  Ho 
thought  himself  lost  and  swam  \vith  desperate  energy. 
Then  he  rose  again  to  the  top  of  the  water,  took  breath 
and  dived  once  more.  Thus  passed  a  few  minutes  of  un 
speakable  anguish,  which  all  his  philosophy  could  not  over- 
come, for  he  thought,  all  the  while,  that  he  heard  behind 
bim  the  sound  of  those  huge  jaws  ready  to  snap  him  up 


274  FITB    WEEKS   IN   A   BAXLOOW. 

forever.  In  this  state  of  mind  he  was  striking  out  undei 
the  water  as  noiselessly  as  possible  when  he  felt  himself 
seized  by  the  arm  and  then  by  the  waist. 

Poor  Joe  1  he  gave  one  last  thought  to  his  master ;  and 
began  to  struggle  with  all  the  energy  of  despair,  feeling 
himself  the  while  drawn  along,  but  not  toward  the  bottom 
of  the  lake,  as  is  the  habit  of  the  crocodile  when  about  to 
devour  its  prey,  but  toward  the  surface. 

So  soon  as  he  could  get  breath  and  look  around  him, 
he  saw  that  he  was  between  two  natives  as  black  as  ebony, 
who  held  him,  with  a  firm  gripe,  and  uttered  strange 
cries. 

"  Ha  ! "  said  Joe,  "  blacks  instead  of  crocodiles  I  Well, 
I  prefer  it  as  it  is ;  but  how  in  the  mischief  dare  these  fel- 
lows go  in  bathing  in  such  places  ?  " 

Joe  was  not  aware  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands 
of  Lake  Tchad,  like  many  other  negro  tribes,  plunge  with 
impunity  into  sheets  of  water  infested  with  crocodiles  and 
caymans,  and  without  troubling  their  heads  about  them. 
The  amphibious  denizens  of  this  lake  enjoy  the  well-de- 
served reputation  of  being  quite  inoffensive. 

But  had  not  Joe  escaped  one  peril  only  to  fall  into 
another  ?  That  was  a  question  which  he  left  events  to 
decide;  and,  since  he  could  not  do  otherwise,  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  conducted  to  the  shore  without  manifesting 
any  alarm. 

"  Evidently,"  thought  he,  "  these  chaps  saw  the  Victo- 
ria skimming  the  waters  of  the  lake,  like  a  monster  of  the 
air.  They  were  the  distant  witnesses  of  my  tumble,  and 
they  can't  fail  to  have  some  respect  for  a  man  that  fell 
from  the  sky  1     Let  them  have  their  own  way,  then." 

Joe  was  at  this  stage  of  his  meditations,  when  he  was 
landed  amid  a  yellir  ^  crowd  of  both  sexes,  and  all  ages 
and  sizes,  but  not  of  all  colors.  In  fine,  he  was  surrormded 
by  a  tribe  of  Biddiomahs  as  black  as  jet,    Nor  had  he  to 


THB  HA-TIVES   AGAIN   TAKE  JOE   FOE  A   GOD.        27o 

blusli  for  the  scantiness  of  his  costume,  for  he  saw  that  he 
was  in  "  undress  "  in  the  highest  style  of  that  country. 

But  before  he  had  time  to  form  an  exact  idea  of  the 
situation,  there  was  no  mistaking  the  agitation  of  which 
he  instantly  became  the  object,  and  this  soon  enabled  him 
to  pluck  up  courage,  although  the  adventiire  of  Kazah  did 
come  back  rather  vividly  to  his  memory. 

"  I  foresee  that  they  are  going  to  make  a  god  of  me 
again,"  thought  he,  "some  son  of  the  moon  most  likely. 
Well,  one  trade's  as  good  as  another  when  a  man  has  no 
choice.  The  main  thing  is  to  gain  time.  Should  the 
Victoria  pass  this  way  again,  Til  take  advantage  of  my 
new  position  to  treat  my  worshippers  here  to  a  miracle 
when  I  go  sailing  up  into  the  sky  !  " 

While  Joe's  thoughts  were  running  thus,  the  throng 
pressed  around  him.  They  prostrated  themselves  before 
him ;  they  howled ;  they  felt  him ;  they  became  even  an- 
noyingly  familiar ;  but  at  the  same  time  they  had  the  con- 
sideration to  offer  him  a  superb  banqiiet  consisting  of  sour 
milk  and  rice  pounded  in  honey.  The  worthy  fellow, 
making  the  best  of  every  thing,  took  one  of  the  heartiest 
luncheons  he  ever  ate  in  his  life,  and  gave  his  new  adorers 
an  exalted  idea  of  how  the  gods  tuck  away  their  food  upon 
grand  occasions. 

When  evening  came,  the  sorcerers  of  the  island  took 
him  respectfully  by  the  hand,  and  conducted  him  to  a  sort 
of  house  surrounded  with  talismans ;  but,  as  he  was  enter- 
ing it,  Joe  cast  an  imeasy  look  at  the  heaps  of  human 
bones  that  lay  scattered  around  this  sanctuary.  But  he 
had  still  more  time  to  think  about  them  when  he  foxmd 
himself  at  last  shut  up  in  the  cabin. 

During  the  evening  and  through  a  part  of  the  night, 
he  heard  festive  chantings,  the  reverberations  of  a  kind 
of  drum,  and  a  clatter  of  old  iron,  which  were  very  sweet, 
no  doubt,  to  African  ears.    Then  there  were  howling 


276  FTVK  WEEKS  IN   A  BALLOOIT. 

choruses,  accompanied  by  endless  dances  by  gangs  of 
natives  who  circled  round  and  round  the  sacred  hut  with 
contortions  and  grimaces. 

Joe  could  catch  the  sound  of  this  deafening  orchestra, 
through  the  mud  and  reeds  of  which  his  cabin  was  built ; 
and  perhaps  under  other  circumstances  he  might  have  been 
amused  by  these  strange  ceremonies ;  but  his  mind  was 
soon  disturbed  by  quite  different  and  less  agreeable  reflec- 
tions. Even  looking  at  the  bright  side  of  things,  he  found 
it  both  stupid  and  sad  to  be  left  alone  in  the  midst  of  this 
savage  country  and  among  these  wild  tribes.  Few  travel- 
lers who  had  penetrated  to  these  regions  had  ever  again 
seen  their  native  land.  Moreover,  could  he  trust  to  the 
worship  of  which  he  saw  himself  the  object?  He  had 
good  reason  to  believe  in  the  vanity  of  human  greatness ; 
and  he  asked  himself  whether,  in  this  country,  adoration 
did  not  sometimes  go  to  the  length  of  eating  the  object 
adored  I 

But,  notwithstanding  this  rather  perplexing  prospect, 
after  some  hours  of  meditation,  fatigue  got  the  better  of 
his  gloomy  thoughts,  and  Joe  fell  into  a  profound  slum- 
ber, which  would  have  lasted  no  doubt  until  sunrise,  had 
not  a  very  unexpected  sensation  of  dampness  awakened 
the  sleeper.  Ere  long  this  dampness  became  water,  and 
that  water  gained  so  rapidly  that  it  had  soon  mounted 
to  Joe's  waist. 

"  What  can  this  be  ? "  said  he ;  "a  flood  I  a  water- 
spout 1  or  a  new  torture  invented  by  these  blacks  ?  Faith, 
though,  I'm  not  going  to  wait  here  till  it's  up  to  my 
neck ! " 

And,  so  saying,  he  burst  throiagh  the  frail  wall  with 
a  jog  of  his  powerful  shoulder,  and  found  himself — ^where? 
— in  the  open  lake  1  Island  there  was  none.  It  had  sunJs 
during  the  night.  In  its  place,  the  watery  immensity  o' 
uake  Tchad  I 


joe's  ISLAim  StJBMEEQED.  277 

"  A  poor  country  for  the  land-owners  I "  said  Joe,  once 
more  vigorously  resorting  to  his  sldll  in  the  art  of  nata- 
tion. 

One  of  those  phenomena,  -which  are  by  no  means  un- 
usual on  Lake  Tchad,  had  liberated  our  brave  Joe.  More 
than  one  island,  that  previously  seemed  to  have  the  solid- 
ity of  rock,  has  been  submerged  in  this  way ;  and  the  peo- 
ple living  along  the  shores  of  the  mainland  have  had  to 
pick  up  the  unfortunate  survivors  of  these  terrible  catas- 
trophes. 

Joe  knew  nothing  about  this  peculiarity  of  the  region, 
but  he  was  none  the  less  ready  to  profit  by  it.  He  caught 
sight  of  a  boat  drifting  about,  without  occupants,  and  was 
soon  aboard  of  it.  He  found  it  to  be  but  the  trunk  of  a 
tree  rudely  hollowed  out ;  but  there  were  a  couple  of 
paddles  in  it,  and  Joe,  availing  himself  of  a  rapid  current, 
allowed  his  craft  to  float  along. 

"  But  let  us  see  where  wo  are,"  he  said.  "  The  polar- 
star  there,  that  does  its  work  honorably  in  pointing  out 
the  direction  due  north  to  everybody  else,  will,  most  likely, 
do  me  that  service." 

He  discovered,  with  satisfaction,  that  the  current  was 
takinj:  him  toward  the  northern  shore  of  the  lake,  and  he 
allowed  himself  to  glide  with  it.  About  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  he  disembarked  upon  a  promontory  covered  with 
prickly  reeds,  that  proved  very  provoking  and  inconve- 
nient even  to  a  pliilosopher  like  him;  but  a  tree  grew 
there  expressly  to  offer  him  a  bed  among  its  branches 
and  Joe  climbed  up  into  it  for  greater  security,  and  there, 
without  sleeping  much,  however,  awaited  the  dawn  of 
day. 

"WTien  morning  had  come  with  that  suddenness  which 
is  peculiar  to  the  equatorial  regions,  Joe  cast  a  glance  at 
the  tree  which  had  sheltered  him  during  the  last  few 
hours,  and  beheld  a  sight  that  chilled  the  marrow  in  hie 


278  FIVE   WEEKS   IN    A   BALLOON. 

bones.  The  branches  of  the  tree  were  literally  covered 
with  snakes  and  chamelions!  The  foliage  actually  was 
hidden  beneath  their  coils,  so  that  the  beholder  micrht 
have  fancied  that  he  saw  before  him  a  new  kind  of  tree 
that  bore  reptiles  for  its  leaves  and  fruit.  And  all  this 
horrible  living  mass  writhed  and  twisted  in  the  first  rays 
of  the  morning  sun !  Joe  experienced  a  keen  sensation 
of  terror  mingled  with  disgust,  as  he  looked  at  it,  and  he 
leaped  precipitately  from  the  tree  amid  the  hissings  of 
these  new  and  unwelcome  bedfellows. 

"  Now,  there's  something  that  I  would  never  have  be- 
lieved I "  said  he. 

He  was  not  aware  that  Dr.  Vogel's  last  letters  had 
made  known  this  s*  gular  feature  of  the  shores  of  Lake 
Tchad,  where  rept.  les  are  more  numerous  than  in  an^ 
other  part  of  the  world.  But  after  what  he  had  just  se 
Joe  determined  to  be  more  circumspect  for  the  futi 
and,  taking  his  bearings  by  the  sun,  he  set  off  afoot  tow^  d 
the  northeast,  avoiding  with  the  utmost  care  cabins,  huts, 
hovels,  and  dens  of  every  description,  that  might  serve 
in  any  manner  as  a  shelter  for  human  beings. 

How  often  his  gaze  was  turned  upward  to  the  sky ! 
He  hoped  to  catch  a  glimpse,  each  time,  of  the  Victoria/ 
and,  although  he  looked  vainly  during  all  that  long, 
fatiguing  day  of  sore  foot-travel,  his  confident  reliance  on 
his  master  remained  undiminished.  Great  energy  of  char- 
acter was  needed  to  enable  him  thus  to  sustain  the  situa- 
tion with  philosophy.  Hunger  conspired  with  fatigue  to 
crush  him,  for  a  man's  system  is  not  greatly  restored  and 
fortified  by  a  diet  of  roots,  the  pith  of  plants,  such  as  the 
mele,  or  the  fruit  of  the  doum  palm-tree ;  and  yet,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  calculations,  Joe  was  enabled  to  push  on 
about  twenty  miles  to  the  westward. 

His  body  bore  in  scores  of  places  the  marks  of  the 
thorns  with  which  the  lake-reeds,  the  acacias,  the  mimosa** 


joe's   STJFFEEnTQS.  279 

and  other  wild  shrubbery  through  which  he  had  to  force 
his  way,  are  thickly  studded ;  and  his  torn  and  bleeding 
feet  rendered  walking  both  painful  and  difficult.  But  at 
length  he  managed  to  react  against  all  these  suflFerings ; 
and  when  evening  came  again,  he  resolved  to  pass  the 
aight  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Tchad. 

There  he  had  to  endure  the  bites  of  myriads  of  in- 
sects— gnats,  mosquitoes,  ants  haK  an  inch  long,  literally 
covered  the  ground ;  and,  in  less  than  two  hours,  Joe  had 
not  a  rag  remaining  of  the  garments  that  had  covered  him, 
the  insects  having  devoured  them  I  It  was  a  terrible  night, 
that  did  not  yield  our  exhausted  traveller  an  hour  of  sleep. 
During  all  this  time  the  wild-boars  and  native  buffaloes, 
reenforced  by  the  ajouh — a  very  dangerous  species  of  lor 
mantine — carried  on  their  ferocious  revels  in  the  bushes 
and  under  the  waters  of  the  lake,  filling  the  night  with  a 
hideous  concert.  Joe  dared  scarcely  breathe.  'Even  his 
courage  and  coolness  had  hard  work  to  bear  up  against  so 
terrible  a  situation. 

At  length,  day  came  again,  and  Joe  sprang  to  his  feet 
precipitately ;  but  judge  of  the  loathing  he  felt  when  he 
saw  what  species  of  creature  had  shared  his  couch — a 
toad ! — ^but  a  toad  five  inches  in  length,  a  monstrous,  re- 
pulsive specimen  of  vermin  that  sat  there  staring  at  him 
with  huge  round  eyes.  Joe  felt  his  stomach  revolt  at  the 
sight,  and,  regaining  a  little  strength  from  the  intensity 
of  his  repugnance,  he  rushed  at  the  top  of  his  speed  and 
plunged  into  the  lake.  This  sudden  bath  somewhat  allayed 
the  pangs  of  the  itching  that  tortured  his  whole  body ; 
and,  chewing  a  few  leaves,  he  set  forth  resolutely,  again 
feeling  an  obstinate  resolution  in  the  act,  for  which  he 
could  hardly  account  even  to  his  own  mind.  He  no  longer 
seemed  to  have  entire  control  of  his  own  acts,  and,  never- 
theless, he  felt  within  him  a  strength  superior  to  despair. 

However,  he  began  now  to  suffer  terribly  from  hunger. 


280  FIVE  WEEKS   IN  A  BALLOON. 

His  stomach,  less  resigned  than  he  was,  rebelled,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  fasten  a  tendril  of  wild-vine  tightly  about  his 
waist.  Fortunately,  be  could  quench  his  thii'str  at  any 
moment,  and,  in  recalling  the  suiferings  he  had  undergone 
In  the  desert,  he  experienced  comparative  relief  in  his  ex- 
emption from  that  other  distressing  want. 

"  ^Yhat  can  have  become  of  the  Victoria  f  "  he  won- 
dered. "  The  wind  blows  from  the  north,  and  she  should  be 
earned  back  by  it  toward  the  lake.  No  doubt  the  doctor 
has  gone  to  work  to  right  her  balance,  but  yesterday 
would  have  given  him  time  enough  for  that,  so  that  may 
be  to-day — but  I  must  act  just  as  if  I  was  never  to  see 
him  again.  After  all,  if  I  only  get  to  one  of  the  large 
towns  on  the  lake,  I'll  find  myself  no  worse  oiF  than  the 
travellers  my  master  used  to  talk  about.  Wliy  shouldn't 
I  work  my  way  out  of  the  scrape  as  well  as  they  did  ? 
Some  of  them  got  back  home  again.  Come,  then !  the 
deuce !     Cheer  up,  my  boy  ! " 

Thus  talking  to  himself  and  walking  on  rapidly,  Joe 
came  right  upon  a  horde  of  natives  in  the  very  depths  of 
the  forest,  but  he  halted  in  time  and  was  not  seen  by  them. 
The  negroes  were  busy  poisoning  arrows  with  tlie  juice  of 
the  euphorhium — a  piece  of  work  deemed  a  great  affair 
among  these  savage  tribes,  and  carried  on  with  a  sort  of 
ceremonial  solemnity. 

Joe,  entirely  motionless  and  even  holding  his  breath, 
was  keeping  himself  concealed  in  a  thicket,  when,  happen- 
ing to  raise  his  eyes,  he  saw  through  an  opening  in  the 
foliage  the  welcome  apparition  of  the  balloon — the  Victo- 
ria herself — ^moving  toward  the  lake,  at  a  height  of  only 
about  one  hundred  feet  above  him.  But  he  could  not 
make  himself  heard;  he  dared  not,  could  not  make  his 
friends  even  see  him  ! 

Tears  came  to  his  eyes,  not  of  grief  but  of  thankful- 
uess ;  his  master  was  then  seeking  him ;  his  master  ha(J 


DfispAm.  S81 

not  left  him  to  perish !  He  would  have  to  -wait  for  the 
departure  of  the  blacks ;  then  he  could  quit  his  hiding- 
place  and  run  toward  the  borders  of  Lake  Tchad  ! 

But  by  this  time  tlie  Victoria  was  disappearing  in  the 
distant  sky.  Joe  still  determined  to  wait  for  her;  she 
would  come  back  again,  undoubtedly.  She  did,  indeed, 
return,  but  farther  to  the  eastward,  Joe  ran,  gesticulated, 
shouted — but  all  in  vain !  A  strong  breeze  was  sweeping 
the  balloon  away  with  a  speed  that  deprived  him  of  all 
hope. 

For  the  first  time,  energy  and  confidence  abandoned 
the  heart  of  the  unfortunate  man.  He  saw  that  he  was 
lost.  He  thought  his  master  gone  beyond  all  prospect  of 
return.  He  dared  no  longer  think ;  he  would  no  longer 
reflect ! 

Like  a  crazy  man,  his  feet  bleeding,  his  body  cut  and 
torn,  he  walked  on  during  all  that  day  and  a  part  of  the 
next  night.  He  even  dragged  himself  along,  sometimes 
on  his  knees,  sometimes  with  his  hands.  He  saw  the  mo- 
ment nigh  when  all  his  strength  would  fail,  and  nothing 
would  be  left  to  him  but  to  sink  upon  the  ground  and 
die. 

Thus  working  his  way  along,  he  at  length  found  him- 
self close  to  a  marsh,  or  what  he  knew  would  soon  become 
a  marsh,  for  night  had  set  in  some  hours  before,  and  he  fell 
by  a  sudden  misstep  into  a  thick,  clinging  mire.  In  spite 
of  all  his  efforts,  in  spi"':e  of  his  desperate  struggles,  he  felt 
himself  sinking  gradually  in  the  swampy  ooze,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  he  was  buried  to  his  waist. 

"  Here,  then,  at  last,  is  death  I "  he  thought,  in  agony, 
"  and  what  a  death !  " 

He  now  began  to  struggle  again,  like  a  madman  ;  but 
his  efforts  only  served  to  bury  him  deeper  in  the  tomb 
that  the  poor  doomed  lad  was  hollowing  for  himself ;  not 
a  log  of  wood  or  a  branch  to  buoy  him  up  ;  not  a  reed  to 


283  FIVE   WEEKS   m   A  BALLOOH. 

which  he  might  cling !     He  felt  that  all  was  over  I     Hia 
eyes  convulsively  closed  1 

"  Master  I  master  1 — Help  ! "  were  his  last  -worJs ;  hut 
his  voice,  despairing,  unaided,  half  stifled  already  hy  th« 
rUiug  mire,  died  away  feebly  on  the  night. 


I 


CHAPTEIi  THIRTY-SIXTH. 

A  Throng  of  People  on  the  Horizon.— A  Troop  of  Arabs.— The  Punralt— It  i« 
He.— Fall  from  HorBcback.— The  Strangled  Arab.— A  Ball  from  Kennedy.— 
Adroit  Manoenvres. — Caught  np  flying. — Joe  saved  at  last. 

Feom  the  moment  when  Kennedy  resumed  his  post  of 
observation  in  the  front  of  the  car,  he  had  not  ceased  to 
watch  the  horizon  with  the  utmost  attention. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  time  he  turned  toward  the 
doctor  and  said  : 

"  If  I  am  not  greatly  mistaken  I  can  see,  off  yonder  in 
the  distance,  a  throng  of  men  or  animals  moving.  It  is  im- 
possible to  make  them  out  yet,  but  I  observe  that  they  are 
in  violent  motion,  for  they  are  raising  a  great  cloud  of 
dust." 

"  May  it  not  be  another  contrary  breeze  ? "  said  the 
doctor,  "  another  whirlwind  coming  to  drive  us  back  north- 
ward again  ?  "  and  while  speaking  he  stood  up  to  examine 
the  horizon. 

"  I  think  not,  Samuel ;  it  is  a  troop  of  gazelles  or  of 
wild  oxen." 

"  Perhaps  so,  Dick ;  but  yon  throng  is  some  nine  or 
ten  miles  from  us  at  least,  and  on  my  part,  even  with  the 
glass,  I  can  make  nothmg  of  it !  " 

"  At  all  events  I  shall  not  lose  sight  of  it.  There  is 
something  remarkable  about  it  that  excites  my  curiosity. 
Sometimes  it  looks  like  a  body  of  cavalry  manoBuvring. 
Ah !  I  was  not  mistaken.  It  is,  indeed,  a  squadron  of 
horsemen.     Look — look  there  I " 


284  BTTE  "WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON. 

The  doctor  eyed  the  group  with  great  attention,  and, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  remarked : 

"  I  believe  that  you  are  right.  It  is  a  detachment  of 
Arabs  or  Tibbous,  and  they  are  galloping  in  the  same  di- 
rection with  us,  as  though  in  flight,  but  we  are  going  fast- 
er than  they,  and  we  are  rapidly  gaining  on  them.  In 
half  an  hour  we  shaU  be  near  enough  to  see  them  and  know 
what  they  are." 

Kennedy  had  again  lifted  his  glass  and  was  attentively 
scrutinizing  them.  Meanwhile  the  crowd  of  horsemen  was 
becoming  more  distinctly  visible,  and  a  few  were  seen  to 
detach  themselves  from  the  main  body. 

"  It  is  some  hunting  manoeuvre,  evidently,"  said  Ken- 
nedy. "  Those  fellows  seem  to  be  in  pursuit  of  something. 
I  would  like  to  know  what  they  are  about." 

"  Patience,  Dick !  In  a  little  while  we  shall  overtake 
them,  if  they  continue  on  the  same  route.  We  are  going 
at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  per  hour,  and  no  horse  can 
keep  up  with  that," 

Kennedy  again  raised  his  glass,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  he  exclaimed : 

"  They  are  Arabs,  galloping  at  the  top  of  their  speed ; 
1  can  make  them  out  distinctly.  They  are  about  fifty  in 
number.  I  can  see  their  houmouses  puflTed  out  by  the  wind. 
It  is  some  cavalry  exercise  that  they  are  going  through. 
Their  chief  is  a  hundred  paces  ahead  of  them  and  they 
are  rushing  after  him  at  headlong  speed." 

"Whoever  they  may  be,  Dick,  they  are  not  to  be 
feared,  and  tlien,  if  necessary,  we  can  go  higher." 

"  Wait,  doctor — wait  a  little ! " 

"  It's  curious,"  said  Ivennedy  again,  after  a  brief  pause, 
"  but  there's  something  going  on  that  I  can't  exactly  ex- 
plain. By  the  efforts  they  make,  and  the  irregularity  of 
their  line,  I  should  fancy  that  those  Arabs  are  pursuing 
some  one,  instead  of  following." 


JOE   PUESUED   BY   ABABS.  285 

•*Arc  you  certain  of  that,  Dick?" 

"  Oh!  yes,  it's  clear  enough  now.  I  am  right !  It  is  a 
pursuit — n  hunt — but  a  man-hunt !  That  is  not  their  chief 
riding  ahead  of  them,  but  a  fugitive." 

"A  fugitive!"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  growing  more 
and  more  interested. 

"  Yes ! " 

"  Don't  lose  sight  of  him,  and  let  us  wait  I " 

Three  or  four  miles  more  were  quickly  gained  upon 
these  horsemen,  who  nevertheless  were  dashing  onward 
with  incredible  speed. 

"Doctor!  doctor  I"  shouted  Kennedy  in  an  agitated 
voice. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Dick?" 

"  Is  it  an  illusion  ?     Can  it  be  possible  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Wait ! "  and  so  saying,  the  Scot  wiped  the  sights  ol 
his  spy-glass  carefully,  and  looked  through  it  again  in- 
tently. 

"  Well  ?  "  questioned  the  doctor. 

"  It  is  he,  doctor ! " 

"  He ! "  exclaimed  Ferguson  with  emotion. 

"  It  is  he !  no  other ! "  and  it  was  needless  to  pronounce 
the  name. 

"  Yes !  it  is  he !  on  horseback,  and  only  a  hundred 
paces  in  advance  of  his  enemies !     He  is  pursued ! " 

"  It  is  Joe — Joe  himself  1 "  cried  the  doctor,  tuminft 
pale. 

"  He  cannot  see  us  in  his  flight ! " 

"  He  will  see  us,  though ! "  said  the  doctor,  lowering 
the  flame  of  his  blow-pipe. 

"  But  how  ?  " 

"In  five  minutes  we  shall  be  within  fifty  feet  of  thn 
ground,  and  in  fifteen  we  shall  be  right  over  him  I " 

"  We  must  let  him  know  it  by  firing  a  gun  1 " 


286  FIVB   WEEKS   m   A.  BALLOON. 

"Ifol  he  can't  tnm  back  to  come  this  way.  He*i 
headed  off  1" 

«  What  shall  we  do,  then  ?  " 

"  "We  must  wait." 

"  Wait  ?— and  these  Arabs ! " 

"  We  shall  overtake  them.  We'll  pass  them.  We  are 
not  more  than  two  miles  from  them,  and  provided  that 
Joe's  horse  holds  out ! " 

"  Great  God  1 "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  suddenly. 

"What  is  the  matter?" 

Kennedy  had  uttered  a  cry  of  despair  as  he  saw  Jo« 
fling  himself  to  the  ground.  His  horse,  evidently  ex- 
hausted, had  just  fallen  headlong. 

"  He  sees  us  ! "  cried  the  doctor,  "  and  he  motions  to 
us,  as  he  gets  upon  his  feet ! " 

"  But  the  Arabs  will  overtake  him !  What  is  he 
waiting  for  ?  Ah !  the  brave  lad !  Huzza ! "  shouted  the 
sportsman,  who  could  no  longer  restrain  his  feelings. 

Joe,  who  had  immediately  sprung  up  after  his  fall,  just 
as  one  of  the  swiftest  horsemen  rushed  upon  him,  bounded 
like  a  panther,  avoided  his  assailant  by  leaping  to  one 
side,  jumped  up  behind  him  on  the  crupper,  seized  the 
Arab  by  the  throat,  and,  strangling  him  with  his  sinewy 
hands  and  fingers  of  steel,  flung  him  on  the  sand,  and  con- 
tinued his  headlong  flight. 

A  tremendous  howl  was  heard  from  the  Arabs,  but, 
completely  engrossed  by  the  pursuit,  they  had  not  taken 
notice  of  the  balloon,  which  was  now  but  five  hundred 
paces  behind  them,  and  only  about  thirty  feet  from  the 
ground.  On  their  part,  they  were  not  twenty  lengths  of 
their  horses  from  the  fugitive. 

One  of  them  was  very  perceptibly  gaining  on  Joe,  and 
was  about  to  pierce  him  with  his  lance  when  Kennedy, 
with  fixed  eye  and  steady  hand,  stopped  him  short  with  a 
ball,  that  hurled  him  to  the  eartk. 


PBEPAEENG   TO    SUOOOR  JOB.  287  * 

Joe  did  not  even  turn  his  head  at  the  report.  Some 
of  the  horsemen  reined  in  their  barbs,  and  fell  on  their 
faces  in  the  dust  as  they  caught  sight  of  the  Victoria  j 
the  rest  continued  then-  pursuit. 

"  But  what  is  Joe  about  ?  "  said  Kennedy ;  "  he  don*t 
etop  I " 

"  He's  doing  better  -".han  that,  Dick  I  I  understand  him  I 
He's  keeping  on  in  the  same  direction  as  the  balloon.  He 
relies  upon  our  intelligence.  Ah !  the  noble  fellow !  We'U 
carry  him  off  in  the  very  teeth  of  those  Arab  rascals !  W^e 
are  not  more  than  two  hundred  paces  from  him  1 " 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Lay  aside  your  rifle,  Dick." 

And  the  Scot  obeyed  the  request  at  once. 

"  Do  you  think  that  you  can  hold  one  hundred  and  Aft  7 
pounds  of  ballast  in  your  arms  ?  " 

"  Ay,  more  than  that !  " 

«  No  !    That  will  be  enough ! " 

And  the  doctor  proceeded  to  pile  up  bags  of  sand  in 
Kennedy's  arms. 

"  Hold  yourself  in  readiness  in  the  back  part  of  the  car, 
and  be  prepared  to  throw  out  that  ballast  at  a  single  effort. 
But,  for  your  life,  don't  do  so  until  I  give  the  word ! " 

"  Be  easy  on  that  point." 

"  Otherwise,  we  should  miss  Joe,  and  he  would  be  lost." 

"  Count  upon  me  ! " 

The  Victoria  at  that  moment  almost  conunanded  the 
troop  of  horsemen  who  were  still  desperately  urging  their 
steeds  at  Joe's  heels.  The  doctor,  standing  in  tlie  front 
of  the  car,  held  the  ladder  clear,  ready  to  throw  it  at  any 
moment.  Meanwliile,  Joe  had  still  maintained  the  distance 
between  himself  and  his  pursuers — say  about  fifty  feeL 
The  Victoria  was  now  aliead  of  the  party. 

"  Attention ! "  exclaimed  the  doctor  to  Kennedy. 

"I'm  ready!" 

13  a 


288  FTVX  WEEKS   m   A   BALLCKJN. 

"  Joe,  look  out  for  yourself ! "  shouted  the  doctor  in  his 
sonorous,  ringing  voice,  as  he  flung  out  the  ladder,  the 
lowest  ratlines  of  which  tossed  up  the  dust  of  the  road. 

As  the  doctor  shouted,  Joe  had  turned  his  head,  but 
without  checking  his  horse.  The  ladder  dropped  close  to 
him,  and  at  the  instant  he  grasped  it  the  doctor  again 
shouted  to  Kennedy : 

"Throw  ballast  I" 

"It's  done!" 

And  the  Victoria,  lightened  by  a  weight  greater  than 
Joe's,  shot  up  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  into  the  air. 

Joe  clung  with  all  his  strength  to  the  ladder  during 
the  wide  oscillations  that  it  had  to  describe,  and  then 
making  an  indescribable  gesture  to  the  Arabs,  and  climb- 
ing with  the  agility  of  a  monkey,  he  sprang  up  to  his  com- 
panions, who  received  him  with  open  arms. 

The  Arabs  uttered  a  scream  of  astonishment  and  rage. 
The  fugitive  had  been  snatched  from  them  on  the  wing, 
and  the  Victoria  was  rapidly  speeding  far  beyond  their 
reach. 

"Master!  Kennedy!"  ejaculated  Joe,  and  over- 
whelmed, at  last,  with  fatigue  and  emotion,  the  poor  fel- 
low fainted  away,  while  Kennedy,  almost  beside  himself^ 
kept  exclaiming :  ♦ 

«  Saved— saved ! " 

"  Saved  indeed ! "  murmured  the  doctor,  who  had  re- 
covered all  his  phlegmatic  coolness. 

Joe  was  almost  naked.  His  bleeding  arms,  his  body 
covered  with  cuts  and  bruises,  told  what  his  sufi*erings  had 
been.  The  doctor  quietly  dressed  his  wounds,  and  laid 
him  comfortably  under  the  awning. 

Joe  soon  returned  to  con&ciousness,  and  asked  for  a 
glass  of  brandy,  which  the  doctor  did  not  see  fit  to  refuse, 
as  the  faithful  fellow  had  to  be  indulged. 

A  fter  he  had  swallowed  the  stimulant,  Joe  grasped  the 


/OB   REPOSES    AFTEE   HIS    SUTFEKINGa.  289 

hands  of  his  two  friends  and  announced  that  he  was  ready 
to  relate  what  had  happened  to  him. 

But  they  would  not  allow  him  to  talk  at  that  time,  and 
he  sank  back  into  a  profound  sleep,  of  which  he  seemed  to 
have  the  greatest  possible  need. 

The  Victoria  was  then  taking  an  oblique  line  to  the 
westward.  Driven  by  a  tempestuous  wind,  it  again  ap- 
proached the  borders  of  the  thorny  desert,  which  the  trav- 
ellers descried  over  the  tops  of  palm-trees,  bent  and  broken 
by  the  storm ;  and,  after  having  made  a  run  of  two  hun- 
dred miles  since  rescuing  Joe,  it  passed  the  tenth  degree 
of  east  longitude  about  nightfalL 


i 


CHAPTER    THTRTY-SEVElSrTH. 

The  Western  Route. — Joe  wakes  np.— His  Obstinacy. — End  of  Joe'e  NarratlTe. 
—Tagelei.— Kennedy's  Anxieties.— The  Route  to  the  North.— A  Night  neai 
Aghades. 

During  the  night  the  wind  lulled  as  though  reposing 
after  the  boisterousness  of  the  day,  and  the  Victoria  re- 
mained quietly  at  the  top  of  the  tall  sycamore.  The  doctor 
and  Kennedy  kept  watch  by  turns,  and  Joe  availed  him- 
self of  the  chance  to  sleep  most  sturdily  for  twenty-four 
hours  at  a  stretch. 

"  That's  the  remedy  he  needs,"  said  Dr.  Ferguson. 
"  Nature  will  take  charge  of  his  cure." 

With  the  dawn  the  wind  sprang  up  again  in  quite 
strong,  and  moreover  capricious  gusts.  It  shifted  abrupt- 
ly from  south  to  north,  but  finally  the  Victoria  was  car- 
ried away  by  it  toward  the  west. 

The  doctor,  map  in  hand,  recognized  the  kingdom  of 
Damerghou,  an  undulating  region  of  great  fertility,  in 
which  the  huts  that  compose  the  villages  are  constructed 
of  long  reeds  interwoven  with  branches  of  the  asclepia. 
The  grain-mills  were  seen  raised  in  the  cultivated  fields, 
upon  small  scafibldings  or  platforms,  to  keep  them  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  mice  and  the  huge  ants  of  that  country. 

They  soon  passed  the  town  of  Zinder,  recognized  by 
its  spacious  place  of  execution,  in  the  centre  of  which 
(Stands  the  "  tree  of  death."  At  its  foot  the  executioner 
stands  waiting,  and  whoever  passes  beneath  its  shadow  ia 
immediately  hung  I 


1 


JOE-8   8PIKIT8   EEVTVKD.  291 

Upon  consulting  his  compass,  Kennedy  could  not  re- 
frain from  saying : 

"  Look  !  we  are  again  moving  northward." 

"  No  matter ;  if  it  only  takes  us  to  Timbuctoo,  we  shall 
not  complain.  Never  was  a  finer  voyage  accomplished 
under  better  circumstances  !  " 

"  Nor  in  better  health,"  said  Joe,  at  that  instant  thrust 
ing  his  jolly  countenance  from  between  the  curtains  of  the 
awning. 

"  There  he  is  !  there's  our  gallant  friend — our  pre- 
server !  "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  cordially. — "  How  goes  it, 
Joe?" 

"  Oh  I  why,  naturally  enough,  Mr.  Kennedy,  very  nat- 
urally 1  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life  !  Nothiag  sets  a 
man  up  like  a  little  pleasure-trip  with  a  bath  in  Lake 
Tchad  to  start  on — eh,  doctor  ?  " 

"  Brave  fellow !  "  said  Ferguson,  pressing  Joe's  hand, 
"  what  terrible  anxiety  you  caused  us ! " 

"  Humph  !  and  you,  sir  ?  Do  you  think  that  I  felt 
easy  in  my  mind  about  you,  gentlemen  ?  You  gave  me 
a  fine  fright,  let  me  tell  you  ! " 

"  We  shall  never  agree  in  the  world,  Joe,  if  you  take 
things  in  that  style." 

"  I  see  that  his  tumble  hasn't  changed  him  a  bit,' 
added  Kennedy. 

"Tour  devotion  and  self-forgetfalness  were  sublime, 
my  brave  lad,  and  they  saved  us,  for  the  Victoria  was  fall- 
ing into  the  lake,  and,  once  there,  nobody  could  have  ex- 
tricated her." 

"  But,  If  my  devotion,  as  you  are  pleased  to  call  my 
summerset,  saved  you,  did  it  not  save  me  too,  for  here  we 
are,  all  three  of  us,  in  first-rate  health  ?  Consequently  we 
have  nothing  to  squabble  about  in  the  whole  affair." 

"  Oh !  we  can  never  come  to  a  settlement  with  that 
youth,"  said  the  sportsman. 

1* 


292  FIVE    WEEKS   m   X  BALLOON. 

"  The  best  way  to  settle  it,"  replied  Joe,  **  is  to  say 
nothing  more  about  the  matter.  What's  done  is  done. 
Good  or  bad,  we  can't  take  it  back." 

"  You  obstinate  fellow ! "  said  the  doctor,  laughing  • 
"  you  can't  refuse,  though,  to  tell  us  your  adventures,  at 
all  events." 

"  Not  if  you  think  it  worth  while.  But,  in  the  first 
place,  I'm  going  to  cook  this  fat  goose  to  a  turn,  for  I  see 
that  Mr.  Kennedy  has  not  wasted  his  time." 

"  All  right,  Joe ! " 

"  Well,  let  us  see  then  how  this  African  game  will  sit 
on  a  European  stomach  1 " 

The  goose  was  soon  roasted  by  the  flame  of  the  blow- 
pipe, and  not  long  afterward  was  comfortably  stowed 
away.  Joe  took  his  own  good  share,  like  a  man  who  had 
eaten  nothing  for  several  days.  After  the  tea  and  the 
punch,  he  acquainted  his  friends  with  his  recent  adven- 
tures. He  spoke  with  some  emotion,  even  while  looking 
at  things  with  his  usual  philosophy.  The  doctor  could  not 
refrain  from  frequently  pressing  his  hand  when  he  saw  his 
worthy  servant  more  considerate  of  his  master's  safety 
than  of  his  own,  and.  In  relation  to  the  sinking  of  the  island 
of  the  Biddiomahs,  he  explained  to  him  the  frequency  of 
this  phenomenon  upon  Lake  Tchad. 

At  length  Joe,  continuing  his  recital,  arrived  at  the 
point  where,  sinking  in  the  swamp,  he  had  uttered  a  last 
cry  of  despair. 

"  I  thought  I  was  gone,"  said  he,  "  and  as  you  came 
right  into  my  mind,  I  made  a  hard  fight  for  it.  How,  I 
couldn't  tell  you — but  I'd  made  up  my  mind  that  I  wouldn't 
go  under  without  knowing  why.  Just  then,  I  saw — two  or 
three  feet  from  me — what  do  you  think  ?  the  end  of  a  rope 
that  had  been  fresh  cut ;  so  I  took  leave  to  make  another 
jerk,  and,  by  hook  or  by  crook,  I  got  to  the  rope.  Then 
I  pulled,  t  didn't  give ;  so  I  pulled  again  and  haided  away 


JOB   EELATE8    HIS    ADVENTDEES.  ^dS 

and  there  I  was  on  dry  ground !  At  the  end  of  the  rope, 
I  found  an  anchor !  Ah,  master,  I've  a  right  to  call  that 
the  anchor  of  safety,  anyhow,  if  you  have  no  objection.  I 
knew  it  again  !  It  was  the  anchor  of  the  Victoria  !  You 
had  grounded  there  I  So  I  followed  the  direction  of  the 
rope  and  that  gave  me  your  direction,  and,  after  trying 
hard  a  few  times  more,  I  got  out  of  the  swamp.  I  had 
got  my  strength  back  with  my  spunk,  and  I  walked  on 
part  of  the  night  away  from  the  lake,  until  I  got  to  the 
edge  of  a  very  big  wood.  There  I  saw  a  fenced-in  place, 
where  some  horses  were  grazing,  without  thinking  of  any 
harm.  Now,  there  are  times  when  everybody  knows  how 
to  ride  a  horse,  are  there  not,  doctor  ?  So  I  didn't  spend 
much  time  thinking  about  it,  but  jumped  right  on  the  back 
of  one  of  those  innocent  animals  and  away  we  went  gal- 
loping north  as  fast  as  our  legs  could  carry  us.  I  needn't 
tell  you  about  the  towns  that  I  didn't  see  nor  the  villages 
that  I  took  good  care  to  go  around.  No  1  I  crossed  the 
ploughed  fields ;  I  leaped  the  hedges ;  I  scrambled  over 
the  fences ;  I  dug  my  heels  into  my  aag ;  I  thrashed  him ; 
I  fairly  lifted  the  poor  fellow  off  his  feet !  A  last  I  got  to 
the  end  of  the  tilled  land.  Good  I  There  was  the  desert. 
That  suits  me ! "  said  I,  "  for  I  can  see  better  ahead  of  me 
aud  farther  too.  I  was  hoping  all  the  time  to  see  the  bal- 
loon tacking  about  and  waiting  for  me.  But  not  a  bit  of 
it ;.  and  so,  in  about  three  hours,  I  go  plump,  like  a  fool, 
into  a  camp  of  Arabs !  Wliew !  what  a  hunt  that  was  ! 
You  see,  Mr.  Kennedy,  a  hunter  don't  know  what  a  real 
hunt  is  until  he's  been  hunted  himself !  Still  I  advise  him 
not  to  try  it  if  he  can  keep  out  of  it !  My  horse  was  so 
tired,  he  was  rbady  to  drop  off  his  legs ;  they  were  close 
on  me  ;  I  threw  myself  to  the  ground;  then  I  jumped  up 
again  behind  an  Arab  !  I  didn't  mean  the  fellow  any  harm, 
and  I  hope  he  has  no  grudge  against  me  for  choking  him, 
but  I  saw  you — and  you  know  the  rest.     The  Yictoria 


294  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BALLOON. 

came  on  at  my  heels,  and  you  caught  me  up  flying,  as  i 
circus-rider  does  a  ring.  Wasn't  I  right  in  counting  on 
you  ?  Now,  doctor,  you  see  how  simple  all  that  was  I 
Nothing  more  natural  in  the  world !  I'm  ready  to  begin 
over  again,  if  it  would  be  of  any  service  to  you.  And 
besides,  master,  as  I  said  a  while  ago,  it's  not  worth  men- 
tioning." 

"  My  noble,  gallant  Joe ! "  said  the  doctor,  with  great 
feeling.  "  Heart  of  gold !  we  were  not  astray  in  trusting 
to  your  intelligence  and  skill." 

"  Poh !  doctor,  one  has  only  just  to  follow  things  along 
as  they  happen,  and  he  can  always  work  his  way  out  of 
a  scrape  !  The  safest  plan,  you  see,  is  to  take  matters  as 
they  come," 

While  Joe  was  telling  his  experience,  the  balloon  had 
rapidly  passed  over  a  long  reach  of  country,  and  Kennedy 
soon  pointed  out  on  the  horizon  a  collection  of  structurea 
that  looked  like  a  town.  The  doctor  glanced  at  his  map 
and  recognized  the  place  as  the  large  village  of  Tagelei, 
in  the  Damerghou  country. 

"Here,"  said  he,  "we  come  upon  Dr.  Earth's  route. 
It  was  at  this  place  that  he  parted  from  his  companions, 
Richardson  and  Overweg ;  the  first  was  to  follow  the  Zin- 
der  route,  and  the  second  that  of  Maradi ;  and  you  may 
remember  that,  of  these  three  travellers,  Barth  was  the 
only  one  who  ever  returned  to  Europe." 

"  Then,"  said  Kennedy,  following  out  on  the  map  the 
direction  of  the  Victoria,  "  we  are  going  due  north." 

"  Due  north,  Dick." 

"  And  don't  that  give  you  a  little  uneasiness  ?  " 

"Why  should  it?" 

"  Because  that  line  leads  to  Tripoli,  and  over  the  Great 
Desert." 

"Oh,  we  shall  not  go  so  far  as  that,  my  friend-— at 
least,  I  hope  not." 


"  HO  I    THEN,    FOB   TrMBUOTOO."  295 

*  But  where  do  you  expecl  to  halt  ?  " 

"  Come,  Dick,  don't  you  feel  some  curiosity  to  see 
Timbuctoo  ?  " 

"Timbuctoo?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  Joe ;  "  nobody  nowadays  can  ihink 
of  making  the  trip  to  Africa  without  going  to  see  Tim- 
buctoo." 

"  You  will  be  only  the  fifth  or  sixth  European  who  has 
ever  set  eyes  on  that  mysterious  city." 

"  Ho,  then,  for  Timbuctoo ! " 

"  Well,  then,  let  us  try  to  get  as  far  as  between  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  degrees  of  north  latitude,  and 
there  we  will  seek  a  favorable  wind  to  carry  us  westward," 

"  Good  I "  said  the  hunter.  "  But  have  we  still  far  to 
go  to  the  northward  ?  " 

"  One  hundred  and  fifty  miles  at  least." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  Kennedy,  "  I'll  turn  in  and  sleep 
a  bit." 

"  Sleep,  sir ;  sleep ! "  urged  Joe,  "  And  you,  doctor,  do 
the  same  yourself:  you  must  have  need  of  rest,  for  I  made 
you  keep  watch  a  little  out  of  time." 

The  sportsman  stretched  himself  under  the  awning ; 
but  Ferguson,  who  was  not  easUy  conquered  by  fatigue, 
remained  at  his  post. 

In  about  three  hours  the  Victoria  was  crossing  with 
extreme  rapidity  an  expanse  of  stony  country,  with  ranges 
of  lofty,  naked  mountains  of  granitic  formation  at  the 
base.  A  few  isolated  peaks  attained  the  height  of  even 
four  thousand  feet.  Girafies,  antelopes,  and  ostriches  were 
seen  running  and  bounding  with  marvellous  agility  in  the 
midst  of  forests  of  acacias,  mimosas,  souahs,  and  date- 
trees.  After  the  barrenness  of  the  desert,  vegetation  was 
now  resuming  its  empire.  This  was  the  covmtry  of  the 
KaUouas,  who  veil  their  faces  with  a  bandage  of  cotton, 
like  their  dangeroas  neighbors,  the  Touaregs. 


296  FIVE  WEEKS  m  Jl  balloon. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  after  a  splendid  trip  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  the  Victoria  halted  over  an 
important  town.  The  moonlight  revealed  glimpses  of  one 
district  half  in  ruins ;  and  some  pinnacles  of  mosques  and 
minarets  shot  up  here  and  there,  glistening  in  the  silvery 
rays.  The  doctor  took  a  stellar  observation,  and  discov- 
ered that  he  was  in  the  latitude  of  Aghades. 

This  city,  once  the  seat  of  an  immense  trade,  was  al- 
ready falling  into  ruin  when  Dr.  Barth  visited  it. 

The  Victoria,  not  being  seen  in  the  obscurity  of  night, 
descended  about  two  miles  above  Aghades,  in  a  field  of 
millet.  The  night  was  cabn,  and  began  to  break  into 
dawn  about  three  o'clock  a.  m,  ;  while  a  light  wind  coaxed 
the  balloon  westward,  and  even  a  little  toward  the  south. 

Dr.  Ferguson  hastened  to  avail  himself  of  such  good 
fortune,  and  rapidly  ascending  resumed  his  aerial  journey 
amid  a  long  wake  oi  golden  morning  sunshiue. 


CHAPIER   THTRTY-EIGHTBL 

A  Rapid  Passage.— Prudent  Resolves.— Caravans  In  Sight.— Incessant  Balna.— 
Qoa.— The  Niger.— Golberry,  Geoflfroy,  and  Gray.- Mango  Park.-  Laing.— 
Ren6  Caillie. — Clapperton.— John  and  Richard  Lander. 

The  17th  of  May  passed  tranquilly,  without  any  re- 
markable incident ;  the  desert  gained  upon  them  once 
more ;  a  moderate  wind  bore  the  Victoria  toward  the  south- 
west, and  she  never  swerved  to  the  right  or  to  the  left, 
but  her  shadow  traced  a  perfectly  straight  lire  on  the 
sand. 

Before  starting,  the  doctor  had  prudently  renewed  his 
stock  of  water,  having  feared  that  he  should  not  be  able  to 
touch  ground  in  these  regions,  iaafested  as  they  are  by  the 
Aouelim-Minian  Touaregs.  The  plateau,  at  an  eleyation 
of  eighteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  se»,  sloped 
down  toward  the  south.  Our  travellers,  having  crossed 
the  Aghades  route  at  Murzouk — a  route  often  pressed  bt 
the  feet  of  camels — arrived  that  evening,  in  the  sixteenth 
degree  of  north  latitude,  and  four  degrees  fifty-five  min- 
utes east  longitude,  after  having  passed  over  one  himdred 
and  eighty  miles  of  a  long  and  monotonous  day's  journey 

During  the  day  Joe  dressed  the  last  pieces  of  gam€^ 
which  had  been  only  hastily  prepared,  and  he  served  up 
for  supper  a  mess  of  snipe,  that  were  greatly  relished. 
Tlie  wind  continuing  good,  the  doctor  resolved  to  keep  on 
during  the  night,  the  moon,  still  nearly  at  the  full,  illu- 
mining it  with  her  radiance.  The  Victoria  ascended  to  a 
height  of  five  hundred  feet,  and,  during  her  nocturnal  trip 


nnC  WBKKS   IN   A   BAIiOOir. 

of  about  sixty  miles,  the  gentle  slnmbers  of  an  infant 
would  not  have  been  disturbed  by  her  motion. 

On  Sunday  morning,  the  direction  of  the  wind  again 
changed,  and  it  bore  to  the  noithwestwai-d.  A  few  crows 
were  seen  sweeping  through  the  air,  and,  off  on  the  hori- 
zon, a  flock  of  vultures  which,  fortunately,  however,  kept 
at  a  distance. 

The  sight  of  these  birds  led  Joe  to  compliment  h'? 
master  on  the  idea  of  having  two  balloons. 

"  Wliere  woiild  we  be,"  said  he,  "  with  only  one  bal- 
loon ?  The  second  balloon  is  like  the  life-boat  to  a  ship  ; 
in  case  of  wreck  we  could  always  take  to  it  and  escape." 

"You  are  right,  friend  Joe,"  said  the  doctor,  "only 
that  my  life-boat  gives  me  some  uneasiness.  It  is  not  so 
good  as  the  main  craft." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  doctor  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  I  mean  to  say  that  the  new  Victoria  is  not  so  good  as 
the  old  one.  Whether  it  be  that  the  stuff  it  is  made  of  is 
too  much  worn,  or  that  the  heat  of  the  spiral  has  melted 
the  gutta-percha,  I  can  observe  a  certain  loss  of  gas.  It 
don't  amount  to  much  thus  far,  but  still  it  is  noticeable. 
"We  have  a  tendency  to  sink,  and,  in  order  to  keep  our 
elevation,  I  am  compelled  to  give  greater  dilation  to  the 
hydrogen." 

"The  deuce!"  exclaimed  Kennedy  with  concern;  "I 
Bee  no  remedy  for  that." 

"  There  is  none,  Dick,  and  that  is  why  we  must  hasten 
our  progress,  and  even  avoid  night  halts." 

"  Are  we  still  far  from  the  coast  ?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  Which  coast,  my  boy  ?  How  are  we  to  know  whither 
chance  will  carry  us  ?  All  that  I  can  say  is,  that  Tim- 
buctoo  is  still  about  four  hundred  miles  to  the  westward. 

"  And  how  long  will  it  take  us  to  get  there  ?  " 

"  Should  the  wind  not  carry  us  too  far  out  of  the  way, 
I  hope  to  reach  that  city  by  Tuesday  evening." 


Aif    IMM3CN8E   O^-BaVAH.  299 

"Then."  remarked  Joe,  pointing  to  a  long  file  of  ani- 
mals and  men  winding  across  tlie  open  desert,  "  we  shall 
arrive  there  sooner  than  that  caravan." 

Ferguson  and  Kennedy  leaned  over  and  saw  an  im- 
mense cavalcade.  There  were  at  least  one  hundred  and 
fifty  camels  of  the  kind  that,  for  twelve  tnutkals  of  gold, 
or  about  twenty-five  dollars,  go  from  Timbuctoo  to  Tafile 
with  arload  of  five  hundred  pounds  upon  their  backs.  Each 
animal  had  dangling  to  its  tail  a  bag  to  receive  its  excre- 
ment, the  only  fuel  on  which  the  caravans  can  depend  when 
crossing  the  desert. 

These  Touareg  camels  are  of  the  very  best  race.  They 
can  go  from  three  to  seven  days  without  drinking,  and  for 
two  without  eating.  Their  speed  surpasses  that  of  the 
horse,  and  they  obey  with  intelligence  the  voice  of  the 
khabir^  or  guide  of  the  caravan.  They  are  known  in  the 
country  under  the  name  of  mehari. 

Such  were  the  details  given  by  the  doctor  while  his 
companions  continued  to  gaze  upon  that  multitude  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  advancing  on  foot  and  with  difficulty 
over  a  waste  of  sand  haK  in  motion,  and  scarcely  kept  in 
its  place  by  scanty  nettles,  withered  grass,  and  stunted 
bushes  that  grew  upon  it.  The  wind  obliterated  the  marks 
of  their  feet  almost  instantly. 

Joe  inquired  how  the  Arabs  managed  to  guide  them- 
selves across  the  desert,  and  come  to  the  few  wells  scattered 
far  between  throughout  this  vast  solitude. 

"The  Arabs,"  replied  Dr.  Ferguson,  "are  endowed 
by  nature  with  a  wonderful  instinct  in  finding  their  way. 
Where  a  European  would  be  at  a  loss,  they  never  hesitate 
for  a  moment.  An  insignificant  fragment  of  rock,  a  peb- 
ble, a  tuft  of  grass,  a  difiereut  shade  of  color  in  the  sand, 
suffice  to  guide  them  with  accuracy.  During  the  night 
they  go  by  the  polar  star.  They  never  travel  more  than 
two  miles  per  hour,  and  always  rest  during  the  noonday 

2A 


300  FIVE   WEEKS    LS    A.   BALLOOK. 

heat.  You  may  judge  from  that  how  long  it  takes  them 
to  cross  Sahara,  a  desert  more  than  nine  hundred  miles  in 
breadth." 

But  the  Victoria  had  already  disappeared  from  the 
astonished  gaze  of  the  Arabs,  who  must  have  envied  her 
rapidity.  That  evening  she  passed  two  degrees  twenty 
minutes  east  longitude,  and  during  the  night  left  another 
degree  behind  her. 

On  Monday  the  weather  changed  completely.  Rain 
began  to  fall  with  extreme  violence,  and  not  only  had  the 
balloon  to  resist  the  power  of  this  deluge,  but  also  the  in- 
crease of  weight  which  it  caused  by  wetting  the  whole 
machine,  car  and  all.  This  continuous  shower  accounted 
for  the  swamps  and  marshes  that  formed  the  sole  surface 
of  the  country.  Vegetation  reappeared,  however,  along 
with  the  mimosas,  the  baobabs,  and  the  tamarind-trees. 

Such  was  the  Sonray  country,  with  its  villages  topped 
with  roofs  turned  over  like  Armenian  caps.  There  were 
few  mountains,  and  only  such  hills  as  were  enough  to  form 
the  ravines  and  pools  where  the  pintadoes  and  snipes  went 
sailing  and  diving  through.  Here  and  there,  an  impetu- 
ous torrent  cut  the  roads,  and  had  to  be  crossed  by  the 
natives  on  long  vines  stretched  from  tree  to  tree.  The 
forests  gave  place  to  jungles,  which  alligators,  hippopotami, 
and  the  rhinoceros,  made  their  haunts. 

"  It  will  not  be  long  before  we  see  the  Niger,"  said  the 
doctor.  "  The  face  of  the  country  always  changes  in  the 
vicinity  of  large  rivers.  These  moving  highways,  as  they 
are  sometimes  correctly  called,  have  first  brought  vegeta- 
tion with  them,  as  they  will  at  last  bring  civilization. 
Thus,  in  its  course  of  twenty-five  hundred  miles,  the  Niger 
has  scattered  along  its  banks  the  most  important  cities  of 
Africa," 

"  By-the-way,"  put  in  Joe,  "  that  reminds  me  of  what 
was  said  by  an  admirer  of  the  goodness  of  Providence,  who 


FTHMA-R-gfl   OF   DE.    FEEGU80N.  301 

praised  the  foresight  -with  which  it  nad  generally  caused 
rivers  to  flow  close  to  large  cities ! " 

At  noon  the  Victo'ria  was  passing  over  a  petty  town, 
a  more  assemblage  of  miserable  huts,  which  once  was  Goa, 
a  great  capital. 

"  It  was  there,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  Barth  crossed 
the  Niger,  on  his  return  from  Timbuctoo.  This  is  the 
river  so  famous  in  antiquity,  the  rival  of  the  Nile,  to  which 
pagan  superstition  ascribed  a  celestial  origin.  Like  the 
Nile,  it  has  engaged  the  attention  of  geographers  in  all 
ages ;  and  like  it,  also,  its  exploration  has  cost  the  lives 
of  many  victims ;  yes,  even  more  of  them  than  perished 
on  account  of  the  other." 

The  Niger  flowed  broadly  between  its  banks,  and  its 
waters  rolled  southward  with  some  violence  of  current; 
but  our  tTivellers,  borne  swiftly  by  as  they  were,  could 
vjircely  catcu  a  glimpse  of  its  curious  outline. 

I  wanted  to  talk  to  you  about  this  river,"  said  Dr 
Ferguson,  "and  it  is  already  far  from  us.  Under  the 
names  of  Dhiouleba,  Mayo,  Egghirreou,  Quorra,  and  other 
titles  besides,  it  traverses  an  immense  extent  of  country, 
and  almost  competes  in  length  with  the  Nile.  These  ap- 
pellations signify  simply  'the  River,'  according  to  the 
dialects  of  the  countries  through  which  it  passes." 

"  Did  Dr.  Barth  follow  this  route  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  No,  Dick :  in  quitting  Lake  Tchad,  he  passed  through 
the  different  towns  of  Bornou,  and  intersected  the  Niger 
at  Say,  four  degrees  below  Goa ;  then  he  penetrated  to  the 
bosom  of  those  unexplored  countries  which  the  Niger 
embraces  in  its  elbow;  and,  after  eight  months  of  fresh 
tatigues,  he  arrived  at  Timbuctoo ;  all  of  which  we  may 
do  in  about  three  days  with  as  swift  a  wind  as  this." 

"  Have  the  Bources  of  the  Niger  been  discovered  ? " 
asked  Joe. 

"  Long  since,"  replied  the  doctor.     "  The  exploration 


302  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BALLOON". 

of  the  Niger  and  its  tributaries  was  the  object  of  several 
expeditions,  the  principal  of  which  I  shall  mention :  Be- 
tween 1749  and  1758,  Adamson  made  a  reconnoissance  of 
the  river,  and  visited  Gorea;  from  1785  to  1788,  Golberry 
and  Geoffroy  travelled  across  the  deserts  of  Senegambia, 
and  ascended  as  far  as  the  country  of  the  Moors,  who 
assassinated  Saugnier,  Brisson,  Adam,  Riley,  Cochelet, 
and  so  many  other  unfortunate  men.  Then  came  the  illus- 
trious Mungo  Park,  the  friend  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and, 
like  him,  a  Scotchman  by  birth.  Sent  out  in  1795  by  the 
Afiican  Society  of  London,  he  got  as  far  as  Bambarra, 
saw  the  Niger,  travelled  five  hundred  miles  with  a  slave- 
merchant,  reconnoitred  the  Gambia  River,  and  returned 
to  England  in  1797.  He  again  set  out,  on  the  30th  of 
January,  1805,  with  his  brother-in-law  Anderson,  Scott, 
the  designer,  and  a  gang  of  workmen ;  he  reached  Gorea, 
there  added  a  detachment  of  thirty-five  soldiers  to  his 
party,  and  saw  the  Niger  again  on  the  19th  of  August. 
But,  by  that  time,  in  consequence  of  fatigue,  privations, 
ill-usage,  the  inclemencies  of  the  weather,  and  the  un- 
healthiness  of  the  country,  only  eleven  persons  remained 
alive  of  the  forty  Europeans  in  the  party.  On  the  16th 
of  November,  the  last  letters  from  Mungo  Park  reaohed 

is  wife;  and,  a  year  later  a  trader  from  that  countr 
gave  information  that,  having  got  as  far  as  Boussa,  on  the 
Niger,  on  the  23d  of  December,  the  unfortunate  traveller's 
boat  was  upset  by  the  cataracts  in  that  part  of  the  river, 
and  he  was  murdered  by  the  natives." 

"  And  his  dreadful  fate  did  not  check  the  efforts  ol 
others  to  explore  that  river  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  Dick.  Since  then,  there  were  two 
objects  in  view:  namely,  to  recover  the  lost  man's  papers, 
as  well  as  to  pursue  the  exploration.  In  1816,  an  expedi- 
tion was  organized,  in  which  Major  Grey  took  part.  It  ar- 
ri\ed  ]:\  Senegal,  penetrated  to  the  Fonta-Jallon,  visited 


EENE   CAILLIB.  303 

the  Foullah  and  Mandingo  populations,  and  returned  to 
England  without  further  results.  In  1822,  Major  Laing 
explored  all  the  ■western  part  of  Africa  near  to  the  British 
possessions ;  and  he  it  was  who  got  so  far  as  the  sources 
of  the  Niger ;  and,  according  to  his  documents,  the  spring 
m  which  that  immense  river  takes  its  rise  is  not  two  feet 
broad. 

"  Easy  to  jump  over,"  said  Joe. 

"  How's  that  ?  Easy  you  think,  eh  ?  "  retorted  the  doc- 
tor. "K  we  are  to  believe  tradition,  whoever  attempts 
to  pass  that  spring,  by  leaping  over  it,  is  immediately 
swallowed  up ;  and  whoever  tries  to  draw  water  from  it, 
feels  himself  repulsed  by  an  invisible  hand." 

"  I  suppose  a  man  has  a  right  not  to  believe  a  word 
of  that ! "  persisted  Joe. 

"  Oh,  by  all  means  ! — Five  years  later,  it  was  Major 
Laing's  destiny  to  force  his  way  across  the  desert  of  Sa- 
hara, penetrate  to  Timbuctoo,  and  perish  a  few  miles 
above  it,  by  strangling,  at  the  hands  of  the  Ouelad-shiman, 
who  wanted  to  compel  him  to  turn  Mussulman." 

"  Still  another  victim ! "  said  the  sportsman. 

"  It  was  then  that  a  brave  young  man,  with  his  own 
feeble  resources,  undertook  and  accomplished  the  most 
astonishing  of  modem  journeys — I  mean  the  Frenchman 
Rene  Caillie,  who,  after  sundry  attempts  in  1819  and  1824, 
set  out  again  on  the  19th  of  April,  1827,  from  Rio  Nimez. 
On  the  3d  of  August  he  arrived  at  Time,  so  thoroughly 
exhausted  and  ill  that  he  could  not  resume  his  journey 
until  six  months  later,  in  January,  1828.  He  then  joined 
a  caravan,  and,  protected  by  his  Oriental  dress,  reached 
the  Niger  on  the  10th  of  March,  p,enetrated  to  the  city 
of  Jenn6,  embarked  on  the  river,  and  descended  it,  as  far 
as  Timbuctoo,  where  he  arrived  on  the  30th  of  April.  In 
1760,  another  Frenchman,  Imbert  by  name,  and,  in  1810,  an 
Englipaman,  Robert  Adams,  had  seen  this  cmrious  place; 


304:  FIVE   WEEKS    IN   A  BALLOON. 

but  Rene  Cailli6  was  to  be  the  first  Europeau  who  could 
bring  back  any  authentic  data  concerning  it.  On  the  4th 
of  May  he  quitted  this  '  Queen  of  the  desert ; '  on  the  9th, 
he  surveyed  the  very  spot  where  Major  Laing  had  been 
murdered;  on  the  19th,  he  arrived  at  El-Arouan,  and  left 
that  commercial  town  to  brave  a  thousand  dangers  ii 
crossing  the  vast  solitudes  comprised  between  the  Soudan 
and  the  northern  regions  of  Africa.  At  length  he  entered 
Tangiers,  and  on  the  28th  of  September  sailed  for  Toulon. 
In  nineteen  months,  notwithstanding  one  hundred  and 
eighty  days'  sickness,  he  had  traversed  Africa  from  west 
to  north.  Ah !  had  Caillie  been  bom  in  England,  he 
would  have  been  honored  as  the  most  intrepid  traveller 
of  modem  times,  as  was  the  case  with  Mungo  Park.  But 
in  France  he  was  not  appreciated  according  to  his  worth." 
"  He  was  a  sturdy  fellow ! "  said  Kennedy,  "  but  what 
became  of  him  ?  " 

"  He  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine,  from  the  conse- 
quences of  his  long  fatigues.  They  thought  they  had 
done  enough  in  decreeing  him  the  prize  of  the  Geographi- 
cal  Society  in  1828;  the  highest  honors  would  have  been 
paid  to  him  in  England. 

"  "While  he  was  accomplishing  this  remarkable  journey 
an  Englishman  had  conceived  a  similar  enterprise  and 
was  trying  to  push  it  through  with  equal  courage,  if  not 
with  equal  good  fortune.  This  was  Captain  Clapperton, 
the  companion  of  Denham.  In  1829  he  reentered  Africa 
by  the  western  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Benin ;  he  then  fol- 
lowed in  the  track  of  Mungo  Park  and  of  Laing,  recovered 
at  Boussa  the  documents  relative  to  the  death  of  the  for- 
mer, and  arrived  on  the  20th  of  August  at  Sackatoo,  where 
be  was  seized  and  held  as  a  prisoner,  until  he  expired  in  the 
arms  of  his  faithful  attendant  Richard  Lander." 

"  And  what  became  of  this  Lander  ?  "  asked  Joe,  deep- 
ly interested. 


BICHAKD   AiTD   JOHN   LAOTDEE.  305 

"  He  sncceeded  in  regaining  the  coast  and  returned  to 
London,  bringing  with  him  the  captain's  papers,  and  an  ex- 
act narrative  of  his  own  journey.  He  then  offered  his 
services  to  the  government  to  complete  the  reconnoissance 
of  the  Niger.  He  took  with  him  his  brother  John,  the 
second  child  of  a  poor  couple  in  Cornwall,  and,  together, 
these  men,  between  1829  and  1831,  redescended  the  river 
from  Boussa  to  its  mouth,  describing  it  village  by  village, 
mile  by  mile." 

"  So  both  the  brothers  escaped  the  common  fate  ? " 
queried  Kennedy. 

"Yes,  on  this  expedition,  at  least ;  but  in  1833  Richard 
undertook  a  third  trip  to  the  Niger,  and  perished  by  a 
bullet,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river.  You  see,  then,  my 
friends,  that  the  country  over  which  we  are  now  passing 
has  witnessed  some  noble  instances  of  self-sacrifice  which, 
unfortunately,  have  only  too  often  had  death  for  their  r* 
ward." 


CHAPTER  THIRTT-NINTR 

Bie  Conntry  In  the  Elbow  of  the  Niger.— A  Fantastic  View  of  the  Hombori  MohB/ 
tains.— Kabra.—Timbuctoo.— The  Chart  of  Dr,  Barth.— A  Decaying  City.— 
Whither  Heaven  wills. 

During  this  dull  Monday,  Dr.  Ferguson  diverted  his 
thoughts  by  giving  his  companions  a  thousand  details  con- 
cerning the  country  they  were  crossing.  The  surface, 
which  was  quite  flat,  offered  no  impediment  to  their  prog- 
ress. The  doctor's  sole  anxiety  arose  from  the  obstinate 
northeast  wind  which  continued  to  blow  furiously,  and  bore 
them  away  from  the  latitude  of  Timbuctoo. 

The  Niger,  after  running  northward  as  far  as  that  city, 
sweeps  around,  like  an  immense  water-jet  from  some  foun- 
tain, and  falls  into  the  Atlantic  in  a  broad  shea£  In  the 
elbow  thus  formed  the  country  is  of  varied  charactei, 
sometimes  luxuriantly  fertile,  and  sometimes  extremely 
bare ;  fields  of  maize  succeeded  by  wide  spaces  covered 
with  broom-corn  and  uncultivated  plains.  All  kinds  of 
aquatic  birds — pelicans,  wild-duck,  kingfishers,  and  the 
rest — were  seen  in  numerous  flocks  hovering  about  the 
borders  of  the  pools  and  torrents. 

From  time  to  time  there  appeared  an  encampment  ol 
Touaregs,  the  men  sheltered  under  their  leather  tents, 
while  their  women  were  busied  with  the  domestic  toil  out- 
side, milking  their  camels  and  smoking  their  huge-bowled 
pipes. 

By  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  Victoria  had  ad- 
vanced more  than  two  hundred  miles  to  the  westward, 


ON  THE   EIGHT  TRACK  AGAIN.  307 

and  our  aSronauts  became  the  spectators  of  a  magnificent 
scene. 

A  mass  of  moonbeams  forcing  their  way  through  an 
opening  in  the  clouds,  and  gliding  between  the  long  lines 
of  falling  rain,  descended  in  a  golden  shower  on  the  ridges 
of  the  Hombori  Mountains.  Nothing  could  be  more 
weird  than  the  appearance  of  these  seemingly  basaltic 
summits ;  they  stood  out  in  fantastic  profile  against  the 
sombre  sky,  and  the  beholder  might  have  fancied  them  to 
be  the  legendary  ruins  of  some  vast  city  of  the  middle 
ages,  such  as  the  icebergs  of  the  polar  seas  sometimes 
mimic  them  in  nights  of  gloom. 

"  An  admirable  landscape  for  the  "  Mysteries  of  Udol- 
pho ! "  exclaimed  the  doctor.  "  Ann  Radclifie  could  not 
have  depicted  yon  mountains  in  a  more  appalling  aspect." 

"  Faith  ! "  said  Joe,  "  I  wouldn't  like  to  be  strolling 
alone  in  the  evening  through  this  country  of  ghosts.  Do 
you  see  now,  master,  if  it  wasn't  so  heavy,  I'd  like  to  carry 
that  whole  landscape  home  to  Scotland !  It  would  do  for 
the  borders  of  Loch  Lomond,  and  tourists  would  rush  there 
in  crowds." 

"  Our  balloon  is  hardly  large  enough  to  admit  of  that 
little  experiment — bat  I  think  our  direction  is  changing. 
Bravo ! — the  elves  and  fairies  of  the  place  are  quite  oblig- 
ing. See,  they've  sent  us  a  nice  little  southeast  breeze, 
ihat  will  put  us  on  the  right  track  again." 

In  fact,  the  Victoria  was  resuming  a  more  northerly 
route,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  she  was  passing 
over  an  inextricable  network  of  channels,  torrents,  and 
streams,  in  fine,  the  whole  complicated  tangle  of  the  Niger's 
tributaries.  Many  of  these  channels,  covered  with  a  thick 
growth  of  herbage,  resembled  luxuriant  meadow-lands. 
There  the  doctor  recognized  the  route  followed  by  the  ex- 
plorer Barth  when  he  launched  upon  the  river  to  descend 
to  Timbuctoo.       Eight  hundred  fathoms  broad  at  this 


308  FIVE   WEEKS   m    A   BALLOON. 

point,  the  Niger  flowed  between  banks  richly  grown  with 
cruciferous  plants  and  tamarind-trees.  Herds  of  agile 
gazelles  were  seen  skipping  about,  their  curling  horns 
mingling  with  the  tall  herbage,  within  which  the  alligator^ 
half  concealed,  lay  silently  in  wait  for  them  with  watchful 
eyes. 

Long  files  of  camels  and  asses  laden  with  merchandise 
from  Jenn6  were  winding  in  under  the  noble  trees.  Ere 
long,  an  amphitheatre  of  low-built  houses  was  discovered 
at  a  turn  of  the  river,  their  roofs  and  terraces  heaped  up 
with  hay  and  straw  gathered  from  the  neighboring  dis- 
tricts. 

"There's  Kabra!"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  joyously; 
"there  is  the  harbor  of  Timbuctoo,  and  the  city  is  not 
five  miles  from  here ! " 

"  Then,  sir,  you  are  satisfied  ?  "  half  queried  Joe 

"  Delighted,  my  boy  I " 

"  Very  good ;  then  every  thing's  for  the  best  I " 

In  fact,  about  two  o'clock,  the  Queen  of  the  Desert, 
mysterious  Timbuctoo,  which  once,  like  Athens  and  Rome, 
had  her  schools  of  learned  men,  and  her  professorships 
of  philosophy,  stretched  away  before  the  gaze  of  our 
travellers. 

Ferguson  followed  the  most  minute  details  upon  the 
chart  traced  by  Barth  himself,  and  was  enabled  to  recog- 
nize its  perfect  accuracy. 

The  city  forms  an  immense  triangle  marked  out  upon 
a  vast  plain  of  white  sand,  its  acute  angle  directed  toward 
the  north  and  piercing  a  comer  of  the  desert.  In  the  en- 
virons there  was  almost  nothing,  hardly  even  a  few  grasses, 
with  some  dwarf  mimosas  and  stunted  bushes. 

As  for  the  appearance  of  Timbuctoo,  the  reader  has  but 
to  imagine  a  collection  of  billiard-balls  and  thimbles — such 
is  the  bird's-eye  view  I  The  streets,  which  are  quite  nar 
row,  are  lined  with  houses  only  nnp  story  in  height,  b'ult 


TIMBtJCTOO.  309 

of  biicks  dried  in  the  sun,  and  huts  of  straw  and  reeds,  the 
former  square,  the  latter  conical.  Upon  the  terraces  were 
seen  some  of  the  male  inhabitants,  carelessly  lounging  at 
full  length  in  flowing  apparel  of  bright  colors,  and  lance 
or  musket  in  hand ;  but  no  women  were  visible  at  that 
hour  of  the  day. 

"Yet  they  are  said  to  be  handsome,"  remarked  the 
doctor.  "  You  see  the  three  towers  of  the  three  mosques 
that  are  the  only  ones  left  standing  of  a  great  number — 
the  city  has  indeed  fallen  from  its  ancient  splendor !  At 
the  top  of  the  triangle  rises  the  Mosque  of  Sankore,  with  its 
ranges  of  galleries  resting  on  arcades  of  sufficiently  pure 
design.  Farther  on,  and  near  to  the  Sane-Gungu  quarter, 
is  the  Mosque  of  Sidi-Yahia  and  some  two-story  houses. 
But  do  not  look  for  either  palaces  or  monuments :  the 
sheik  is  a  mere  son  of  traffic,  and  his  royal  palace  is  a 
countin  g-house. " 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  I  can  see  half-ruined  ramparts," 
said  Kennedy. 

"They  were  destroyed  by  the  Fouillanes  in  182G  ;  the 
city  was  one-third  larger  then,  for  Timbuctoo,  an  object 
generally  coveted  by  all  tne  tribes,  since  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury, has  belonged  in  succession  to  the  Touaregs,  the  Son- 
rayans,  the  Morocco  men,  and  tlie  Fouillanes ;  and  this 
great  centre  of  civilization,  where  a  sage  like  Ahmed-Baba 
owned,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  a  library  of  sixteen  hun- 
dred manuscripts,  is  now  nothing  but  a  mere  half-way 
house  for  the  trade  of  Central  Africa." 

The  city,  indeed,  seemed  abandoned  to  supreme  neg 
lect;  it  betrayed  that  indifierence  wliich  seems  epidemic 
to  cities  that  are  passing  away.  Huge  heaps  of  rubbish 
encumbered  th*^  suburbs,  and,  with  the  hill  on  which  the 
market-place  stood,  formed  the  only  inequalities  of  the 
ground. 

When  the  Yictoria  passed,  there  was  some  sHght  show 


810  FIVE   WEEKS   EN   A  BALLOCW. 

of  movement ;  drums  were  beaten ;  but  the  last  learned 
man  still  lingering  in  the  place  had  hardly  time  to  notice 
the  new  plienomenon,  for  our  travellers,  driven  onward 
by  the  wind  of  the  desert,  resumed  the  winding  course  of 
the  river,  and,  ere  long,  Timbuctoo  was  nothing  more  than 
one  of  the  fleeting  reminiscences  of  their  journey. 

"  And  now,"  said  the  doctor,  "  Heaven  may  waft  ug 
whither  it  pleases ! " 

"Provided  only  that  we  go  westward,"  added  Ken- 
nedy. 

"  Bah  ! "  said  Joe ;  "  I  wouldn't  be  afraid  if  it  was  to 
go  back  to  Zanzibar  by  the  same  road,  or  to  cross  the 
ocean  to  America." 

"  We  would  first  have  to  be  able  to  do  that,  Joe  1 " 
"  And  what's  wanting,  doctor  ?  " 
"  Gas,  my  boy ;  the  ascending  force  of  the  balloon  is 
evidently  growing  weaker,  and  we  shall  need  all  our  man- 
agement to  make  it  carry  us  to  the  sea-coast.    I  shall  even 
have  to  throw  over  some  ballast.     We  are  too  heavy." 

"  That's  what  comes  of  doing  nothing,  doctor ;  when  a 
man  lies  stretched  out  all  day  long  in  his  hammock,  he 
gets  fat  and  heavy.  It's  a  lazybones  trip,  this  of  ours, 
master,  and  when  we  get  back  every  body  will  find  us  big 
and  stout." 

"Just  like  Joe,"  said  Kennedy;  "just  the  ideas  for 
him :  but  wait  a  bit !  Can  you  tell  what  we  may  have  to 
go  through  yet  ?  We  are  still  far  from  the  end  of  our  trip. 
Where  do  you  expect  to  strike  the  African  coast,  doctor  ?  " 
"  I  should  find  it  hard  to  answer  you,  Kennedy.  We 
are  at  the  mercy  of  very  variable  winds ;  but  I  should 
think  myself  fortunate  were  we  to  strike  it  between  Sierra 
Leone  and  Portendick.  There  is  a  stretch  of  country  in 
that  quarter  where  we  should  meet  with  friends." 

"And  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  press  their  hands;  bat, 
•re  we  going  in  the  desirable  direction  ?  " 


THE   LAST  BAGS   OF   SAND   THEOWN   OtJT.  311 

"  Not  any  too  well,  Dick ;  not  any  too  well !  Look  at 
the  needle  of  the  compass ;  we  are  bearing  southward,  and 
ascending  the  Niger  toward  its  sources." 

"  A  fine  chance  to  discover  them,"  said  Joe,  "  if  they 
were  not  known  already.  Now,  couldn't  we  just  find 
others  for  it,  on  a  pinch  ?  " 

"Not  exactly,  Joe;  but  don't  be  alarmed:  I  hardly 
expect  to  go  so  far  as  that." 

At  nightfall  the  doctor  threw  out  the  last  bags  of  sand. 
The  Victoria  rose  higher,  and  the  blow-pipe,  although  work- 
ing at  fuU  blast,  could  scarcely  keep  her  up.  At  that  time 
she  was  sixty  miles  to  the  southward  of  Tirabuctoo,  and  in 
the  morning  the  aeronauts  awoke  over  the  banks  of  th«^ 
Niger,  not  far  from  Lake  Debo. 


14 


2B 


CHAPTER    FORTIETH. 

Dr  Fergneon's  Anxieties.— Persistent  Movement  southward.— A  Cloud  of 
Grasshoppers.— A  View  of  Jeim6.— A  View  of  Sego. — Change  of  the  Wind.— 
Joe's  EegretB. 

The  flow  of  the  river  was,  at  that  point,  divided  by 
large  islands  into  narrow  branches,  with  a  very  rapid  cur- 
rent. Upon  one  among  them  stood  some  shepherds'  huts, 
but  it  had  become  impossible  to  take  an  exact  observation 
of  them,  because  the  speed  of  the  balloon  was  constantly 
increasing.  Unfortunately,  it  turned  still  more  toward 
the  south,  and  in  a  few  moments  crossed  Lake  Debo. 

Dr.  Ferguson,  forcing  the  dilation  of  his  aerial  craft 
to  the  utmost,  sought  for  other  currents  of  air  at  diflerent 
heights,  but  in  vain ;  and  he  soon  gave  up  the  attempt, 
which  was  only  augmenting  the  waste  of  gas  by  pressing 
it  against  the  well-worn  tissue  of  the  balloon. 

He  made  no  remark,  but  he  began  to  feel  very  anxious. 
This  persistence  of  the  wind  to  head  him  off  toward  the 
southern  part  of  Africa  was  defeating  his  calculations,  and 
he  no  longer  knew  upon  whom  or  upon  what  to  depend. 
Should  he  not  reach  the  English  or  French  territories, 
what  was  to  become  of  him  in  the  midst  of  the  barbarous 
tribes  that  infest  the  coasts  of  Guinea  ?  How  should  he 
there  get  to  a  ship  to  take  him  back  to  England  ?  And 
the  actual  direction  of  the  wind  was  drivins:  him  along:  to 
the  kingdom  of  Dahomey,  among  the  most  savage  races, 
and  into  the  power  of  a  ruler  who  was  in  the  habit  of 


A   BWAEM   OF   GKA88HOPPEK8.  313 

sacrificing  tijoiisands  of  human  victims  at  his  public  orgies. 
There  he  would  be  lost ! 

On  the  other  hand,  the  balloon  was  visibly  wearing 
out,  and  the  doctor  felt  it  failing  him.  However,  as  the 
weather  was  clearing  up  a  little,  he  hoped  that  the  cessa- 
tion of  the  rain  would  biing  about  a  change  in  the  atmos- 
pheric currents. 

It  was  therefore  a  disagreeable  reminder  of  the  actual 
situation  when  Joe  said  aloud : 

"  There !  the  raia's  going  to  pour  down  harder  than 
ever ;  and  this  time  it  will  be  the  deluge  itself,  if  we're  to 
judge  by  yon  cloud  that's  coming  up  ! " 

"  What !  another  cloud  ?  "  asked  Ferguson, 

"  Yes,  and  a  famous  one,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"  I  never  saw  the  like  of  it,"  added  Joe. 

"  I  breathe  freely  again  ! "  said  the  doctor,  laying  down 
hifc  spy-glass.     "  That's  not  a  cloud ! " 

"  Not  a  cloud  ?  "  queried  Joe,  with  surprise. 

"  No ;  it  is  a  swarm.  " 

«Eh?" 

"  A  swarm  of  grasshoppers  1 " 

"  That  ?    Grasshoppers  !  " 

"  Myriads  of  grasshoppers,  that  are  going  to  sweep  over 
this  country  like  a  water-spout ;  and  woe  to  it !  for,  should 
these  insects  alight,  it  will  be  laid  waste." 

"  That  would  be  a  sight  worth  beholding  I " 

"  "Wait  a  little,  Joe.  In  ten  minutes  that  cloud  will 
have  arrived  where  we  are,  and  you  can  then  judge  by  the 
aid  of  your  own  eyes." 

The  doctor  was  right.  The  cloud,  thick,  opaque,  and 
ec'veral  miles  in  extent,  came  on  with  a  deafening  noise, 
casting  its  immense  shadow  over  the  fields.  It  was  com- 
posed of  numberless  legions  of  that  species  of  grasshop- 
per called  crickets.  About  a  hundred  paces  from  the 
balloon,  they  settled  down  upon  a  tract  full  of  foliage  and 


314  FIVE  WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOON. 

verdure.  Fifteen  rait.ates  later,  the  mass  resumed  its 
flight,  and  our  travellers  could,  even  at  a  distance,  see  the 
trees  and  the  bushes  entirely  stripped,  and  the  fields  as 
bare  as  though  they  had  been  swept  with  the  scythe. 
One  would  have  thought  that  a  sudden  winter  had  just 
descended  upon  the  earth  and  struck  the  region  with  the 
most  complete  sterility. 

"  Well,  Joe,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 

"Well,  doctor,  it's  very  curious,  but  quite  natural 
What  one  grasshopper  does  on  a  small  scale,  thousands 
do  on  a  grand  scale." 

"It's  a  terrible  shower,"  said  the  hunter;  "more  bO 
than  hail  itself  in  the  devastation  it  causes." 

"It  is  impossible  to  prevent  it,"  replied  Ferguson. 
"Sometimes  the  inhabitants  have  had  the  idea  to  bum 
the  forests,  and  even  the  standing  crops,  in  order  to  arrest 
the  progress  of  these  insects ;  but  the  first  ranks  plunging 
into  the  flames  would  extinguish  them  beneath  their  mass, 
and  the  rest  of  the  swarm  would  then  pass  irresistibly 
onward.  Fortunately,  in  these  regions,  there  is  some  sort 
of  compensation  for  their  ravages,  since  the  natives  gather 
these  insects  in  great  numbers  and  greedily  eat  them." 

"  They  are  the  prawns  of  the  air,"  said  Joe,  who  added 
that  he  was  sorry  that  he  had  never  had  the  chance  to 
taste  them — just  for  information's  sake ! 

The  country  became  more  marshy  toward  evening; 
the  forests  dwindled  to  isolated  clumps  of  trees ;  and  on 
the  borders  of  the  river  could  be  seen  plantations  of 
tobacco,  and  swampy  meadow-lands  fat  with  forage.  At 
last  the  city  of  Jenn6,  on  a  large  island,  came  in  sight, 
with  the  two  towers  of  its  clay-built  mosque,  and  the 
putrid  odor  of  the  millions  of  swallows'  neets  accumulated 
in  its  walls.  The  tops  of  some  baobabs,  mimosas,  and 
date-trees  peeped  up  between  the  houses ;  and,  even  at 
night,  the  activity  of  the  place  seemed  very  great.    Jenn6 


A   FAVORABLE    CFEKENT.  815 

IS,  in  fact,  quite  a  commercial  city:  it  supplies  all  the 
wants  of  Timbuctoo.  Its  boats  on  the  river,  and  its  cara- 
vans along  the  shaded  roads,  bear  thither  the  various 
products  of  its  industry. 

"  Were  it  not  that  to  do  so  would  prolong  our  journey," 
said  the  doctor,  "I  should  like  to  alight  at  this  place. 
There  must  be  more  than  one  Arab  there  who  has  trav- 
elled in  England  and  France,  and  to  whom  our  style  of 
locomotion  is  not  altogether  new.  But  it  would  not  be 
prudent." 

"  Let  us  put  off  the  visit  until  our  next  trip,"  said  Joe, 
laughing. 

"  Besides,  my  friends,  unless  I  am  mistaken,  the  wind 
has  a  slight  tendency  to  veer  a  little  more  to  the  eastward, 
and  we  must  not  lose  such  an  opportunity." 

The  doctor  threw  overboard  some  articles  that  were 
no  longer  of  use — some  empty  bottles,  and  a  case  that  had 
contaiaed  preserved-meat — and  thereby  managed  to  keep 
the  balloon  in  a  belt  of  the  atmosphere  more  favorable  to 
his  plans.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  first  rays 
of  the  sun  lighted  up  Sego,  the  capital  of  Bambarra,  which 
could  be  recognized  at  once  by  the  four  towns  that  com- 
pose it,  by  its  Saracenic  mosques,  and  by  the  incessant 
o-oincr  and  cominc:  of  the  flat-bottomed  boats  that  con- 
vey  its  inhabitants  from  one  quarter  to  the  other.  But 
the  travellers  were  not  more  seen  than  they  saw.  They 
sped  rapidly  and  directly  to  the  northwest,  and  the  doc- 
tor's anxiety  gradually  subsided. 

"  Two  more  days  in  this  dii-ection,  and  at  this  rate  of 
speed,  and  we'll  reach  the  Senegal  River." 

"And  we'll  be  in  a  friendly  country?"  asked  the 
hunter. 

"  Not  altogether;  but,  if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst, 
and  the  balloon  were  to  fail  us,  we  might  make  our  way 
to  the  French  settlements.     But,  let  it  hold  out  only  for  a 

3    * 


816  FIVE   WEEi-S    m    A   BAJLLOON. 

few  hundred  miles,  and  we  shall  arrive  without  fatigue- 
alarm,  or  danger,  at  the  western  coast." 

"  And  the  thing  will  be  over ! "  added  Joe.  "  Heigh-ho  I 
80  much  the  worse.  K  it  wasn't  for  the  pleasure  of  tell- 
ing about  it,  I  would  never  want  to  set  foot  on  the  ground 
again!  Do  you  think  anybody  will  believe  our  story, 
doctor  ?  " 

"Who  can  tell,  Joe?  One  thing,  however,  will  be 
undeniable  :  a  thousand  witnesses  saw  us  start  on  one 
side  of  the  African  Continent,  and  a  thousand  more  will 
see  us  arrive  on  the  other." 

"  And,  in  that  case,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be 
hard  to  say  that  we  had  not  crossed  it,"  added  Kennedy, 

"  Ah,  doctor ! "  said  Joe  again,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "  I'll 
think  more  than  once  of  my  lumps  of  solid  gold-ore ! 
There  was  something  that  would  have  given  weight  to  our 
narrative  I  At  a  grain  of  gold  per  head,  I  could  have  got 
together  a  nice  crowd  to  listen  to  me,  and  even  to  admire 
me!" 


CHAPTER   FORTY-FIRST. 

fho  Approaches  to  Senegal. — The  Balloon  sinks  lower  and  lower. — They  koerj. 
throwinj;  ont,  throwing  out. — The  Marahont  Al-Hadji. — Messrs.  Pascal.Vm 
cent,  and  Lambert. — A  Rival  of  Mohammed.— The  Bifflcult  Mountains.— Ken 
nedy's  Weapons.— One  of  Joe's  Manoeuvres.— A  Halt  over  a  Forest.       ' 

On  the  27th  of  May,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  countiy  presented  an  entirely  different  aspect.  The 
slopes,  extending  far  away,  changed  to  hills  that  gave  evi- 
dence of  mountains  soon  to  follow.  They  would  have  to 
cross  the  chain  which  separates  the  basin  of  the  Niger 
from  the  basin  of  the  Senegal,  and  determines  the  course 
of  the  water-shed,  whether  to  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  on  the 
one  hand,  or  to  the  bay  of  Cape  Verde  on  the  other. 

As  far  as  Senegal,  this  part  of  Africa  is  marked  down 
as  dangerous.  Dr.  Ferguson  knew  it  through  the  recitals 
of  his  predecessors.  They  had  suffered  a  thousand  priva- 
tions and  been  exposed  to  a  thousand  dangers  in  the  midst 
of  these  barbarous  negro  tribes.  It  was  this  fatal  climate 
that  had  devoured  most  of  the  companions  of  Mungo  Park. 
Ferguson,  therefore,  was  more  than  ever  decided  not  to 
set  foot  in  this  inhospitable  region. 

But  he  had  not  enjoyed  one  moment  of  repose.  The 
Victoria  -w&a  descending  very  perceptibly,  so  much  so 
that  he  had  to  throw  overboard  a  number  more  of  useless 
artixjles,  especially  when  there  was  a  mountain-top  to  pass. 
Thinecs  went  on  thus  for  more  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles;  they  were  worn  out  with  ascending  ana 
foiling  again ;  the  baUoon,  like  another  rock  of  Sisyphus. 


318  PTTH   W1BKB3   DT  A  BALLOOBL 

kept  continually  sinking  back  toward  the  ground.  The; 
rotundity  of  the  covering,  which  was  now  but  little  inflated, 
was  collapsing  already.  It  assumed  an  elbngated  shape, 
and  the  wind  hollowed  large  cavities  in  the  silken  surface. 

Kennedy  could  not  help  observing  this. 

"  Is  there  a  crack  or  a  tear  in  the  balloon  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  but  the  gutta  percha  has  evidently  softened  or 
melted  in  the  heat,  and  the  hydrogen  is  escaping  through 
the  silk." 

"  How  can  we  prevent  that  ?  " 

"  It  is  impossible.  Let  us  lighten  her.  That  is  the 
only  help.    So  let  us  throw  out  every  thing  we  can  spare," 

"  But  what  shall  it  be  ? "  said  the  hunter,  looking  at 
the  car,  which  was  already  quite  bare. 

"  Well,  let  us  get  rid  of  the  awning,  for  its  weight  is 
quite  considerable." 

Joe,  who  was  interested  in  this  order,  climbed  up  on 
the  circle  which  kept  together  the  cordage  of  the  network, 
and  from  that  place  easUy  managed  to  detach  the  heavy 
curtains  of  the  awning  and  throw  them  overboard. 

"  There's  something  that  will  gladden  the  hearts  of  a 
whole  tribe  of  blacks,"  said  he  ;  "  there's  enough  to  dress 
a  thousand  of  them,  for  they're  not  very  extravagant  with 
)loth." 

The  balloon  had  risen  a  little,  but  it  soon  became  evi> 
dent  that  it  was  again  approaching  the  ground. 

"  Let  us  alight,"  suggested  Kennedy,  "  and  see  what 
can  be  done  with  the  covering  of  the  balloon." 

"  I  tell  you,  again,  Dick,  that  we  have  no  means  of  re- 
pairing it." 

«  Then  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  We'll  have  to  sacrifice  every  thing  not  absolutely  in- 
dispensable ;  I  am  anxious,  at  all  hazards,  to  avoid  a  de- 
tention in  these  regions.  The  forests  over  the  tops  of 
which  we  are  skimming  are  any  thing  but  safe." 


AL-HADJL  319 

**  What !  are  there  lions  in  them,  or  hyenas  ? "  asked 
Joe,  with  an  expression  of  sovereign  contempt. 

"  Worse  than  that,  my  boy !  There  are  men,  and  some 
of  the  most  cruel,  too,  in  all  Africa." 

"  How  is  that  known  ?  " 

"  By  the  statements  of  travellers  who  have  been  here 
before  us.  Then  the  French  settlers,  who  occupy  the 
colony  of  Senegal,  necessarily  have  relations  with  the  sur- 
rounding tribes.  Under  the  administration  of  Colonel 
Faidherbe,  reconnoissances  have  been  pushed  far  up  into 
the  country.  Officers  such  as  Messrs.  Pascal,  Vincent,  and 
Lambert,  have  brought  back  precious  documents  from  their 
expeditions.  They  have  explored  these  countries  formed  by 
the  elbow  of  the  Senegal  in  places  where  war  and  pillage 
have  left  nothing  but  ruins." 

"  What,  then,  took  place  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you.  In  1854  a  Marabout  of  the  Senegal- 
ese Fouta,  Al-Hadji  by  name,  declaring  himself  to  be  in- 
spired like  Mohammed,  stirred  up  all  the  tribes  to  war 
against  the  infidels — that  is  to  say,  against  the  Euro- 
peans. He  carried  destruction  and  desolation  over  the 
regions  between  the  Senegal  River  and  its  tributary, 
the  Fat^me.  Three  hordes  of  fanatics  led  on  by  him 
scoured  the  country,  sparing  neither  a  village  nor  a  hut 
in  their  pillaging,  massacring  career.  He  advanced  in 
person  on  the  town  of  Scgo,  which  was  a  long  time  threat- 
ened. In  1857  he  worked  up  farther  to  the  northward, 
and  invested  the  fortification  of  Medina,  built  by  the 
French  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  This  stronghold  was 
defended  by  Paul  Holl,  who,  for  several  months,  without 
provisions  or  ammunition,  held  out  until  Colonel  Faid- 
herbe came  to  his  relief  Al-Hadji  and  his  bands  then 
repassed  the  Senegal,  and  reappeared  m  the  Kaarta, 
continuing  their  rapine  and  murder. — Well,  here  below  us 
is  the  very  country  in  which  be  has  found  refuge  with  hia 


320  nVE   WEEKS   IN   A  BALLOON. 

hordes  of  banditti ;  and  I  assure  you  that  it  would  not  bt 
a  good  thing  to  fall  into  his  hands." 

"  We  shall  not,"  said  Joe,  "  even  if  we  have  to  throw 
overboard  our  clothes  to  save  the  Victoria.''* 

"  We  are  not  far  from  the  river,"  said  the  doctor,  "  but 
I  foresee  that  our  balloon  will  not  be  able  to  cany  us  be- 
yond it." 

"  Let  us  reach  its  banks,  at  all  events,"  said  the  Scot, 
"  and  that  will  be  so  much  gained." 

"  That  is  what  we  are  trying  to  do,"  rejoined  Fergn 
son,  *'  only  that  one  thing  makes  me  feel  anxious." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  We  shall  have  mountains  to  pass,  and  that  will  be 
diflScult  to  do,  since  I  cannot  augment  the  ascensional  force 
of  the  balloon,  even  with  the  greatest  possible  heat  that  I 
can  produce." 

"  Well,  wait  a  bit,"  said  Kennedy,  "  and  we  shall 
see ! " 

"  The  poor  Victoria  /  "  sighed  Joe ;  "  I  had  got  fond 
of  her  as  the  sailor  does  of  his  ship,  and  I'll  not  give  her 
up  so  easily.  She  may  not  be  what  she  was  at  the  start — 
granted ;  but  we  shouldn't  say  a  word  against  her.  She 
has  done  us  good  service,  and  it  would  break  my  heart  to 
desert  her." 

"  Be  at  your  ease,  Joe ;  if  we  leave  her,  it  will  be  in 
spile  of  ourselves.  She'll  serve  us  until  she's  completely 
worn  out,  and  I  ask  of  her  only  twenty-four  hours  more ! " 

"  Ah,  she's  getting  used  up  !  She  grows  thinner  and 
thinner,"  said  Joe,  dolefully,  while  he  eyed  her.  "  Poor 
balloon ! " 

"  Unless  I  am  deceived,"  said  Kennedy,  "  there  on  the 
horizon  are  the  mountains  of  which  you  were  speaking, 
doctor." 

"  Yes,  there  they  are,  indeed !  '*  exclaimed  the  doctor, 
ftfter  having  examined  them  through  his  spy-cclasa    "  and 


coLULPsma.  821 

they  look  very  higK  Wo  Bhall  liavo  some  trouble  in 
crossing  thenu" 

"  Can  we  not  avoid  them  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  not,  Dick.  See  what  an  immense  space 
they  occupy — nearly  one-Iialf  of  the  horizon  ! " 

"  Tliey  even  seem  to  shut  us  in,"  added  Joe.  "  They 
are  gaining  on  both  our  right  and  our  left." 

"  Wc  must  then  pass  over  them." 

These  obstacles,  which  threatened  such  imminent  peril, 
seemed  to  approach  with  extreme  rapidity,  or,  to  speak 
more  accurately,  the  wind,  which  was  very  fresh,  was 
hurrying  the  balloon  toward  the  sharp  peaks.  So  rise  it 
must,  or  be  dashed  to  pieces. 

"  Let  us  empty  our  tank  of  water,"  said  tho  doctor 
"  and  keep  only  enough  for  one  day." 

"  There  it  goes,"  shouted  Joe. 

"  Does  the  balloon  rise  at  all  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  A  little — some  fifty  feet,"  replied  the  doctor,  who 
kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  barometer.  "  But  that  is  not 
enough." 

In  truth  the  lofty  peaks  were  starting  np  so  swiftly  be- 
fore the  travellers  that  they  seemed  to  be  rushing  down 
upon  them.  The  balloon  was  far  from  rising  above  them. 
She  lacked  an  elevation  of  more  than  five  hundi'ed  feet 
more. 

The  stock  of  water  for  the  cylinder  was  also  thrown 
overboard  and  only  a  few  pints  were  retained,  but  still  all 
this  was  not  enough. 

"  We  must  pass  them  though  ! "  urged  tho  doctor. 

"  Let  us  throw  out  the  tanks — we  hav(j  emptied  them." 
said  Kennedy. 

"  Over  with  them  !  " 

"  There  they  go  1 "  panted  Joe.  "  But  it's  hard  to  see 
ourselves  droppmg  off  this  way  by  piecemeaL" 

"  Now,  for  your  part,  Joe,  make  no  attempt  to  sacriBc*; 


a22  FIVB   WEEKS   m  A   BALLOON. 

yourself  as  you  did  the  other  day  1    Whatever  happens, 
swear  to  me  that  you  will  not  leave  ua  I " 

"  Have  no  fears,  my  master,  we  shall  not  be  sepa- 
rated." 

The  Victoria  had  ascended  some  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  but  the  crest  of  the  mountain  still  towered  above  it. 
It  was  an  almost  perpendicular  ridge  that  ended  in  a  reg- 
ular wall  rising  abruptly  in  a  straight  line.  It  still  rose 
more  than  two  hundred  feet  over  the  aeronauts. 

"  In  ten  minutes,"  said  the  doctor  to  himself,  "  our  car 
will  be  dashed  against  those  rocks  unless  we  succeed  in 
passing  them  ! " 

"  Well,  doctor  ?  "  queried  Joe. 

"  Keep  nothing  but  our  pemmican,  and  throw  out  all 
the  lieavy  meat." 

Thereupon  the  balloon  was  again  lightened  by  some 
fifty  pounds,  and  it  rose  very  perceptibly,  but  that  was  of 
little  consequence,  unless  it  got  above  the  line  of  the 
mountain-tops.  The  situation  was  terrifying.  The  Vio- 
twia  was  rushing  on  with  great  rapidity.  They  rould 
feel  that  she  would  be  da&hed  to  pieces — that  the  nhock 
would  be  fearful 

The  doctor  glanced  around  him  in  the  car.  It  was 
nearly  empty. 

"  If  needs  be,  Dick,  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  throw 
over  your  fire-arms ! " 

"  Sacrifice  my  fire-arms  ?  "  repeated  the  sportsman, 
with  intense  feeling, 

"  My  friend,  I  ask  it ;  it  will  be  absolutely  necessary  1 " 

"Samuel!    Doctor!" 

"  Your  guns,  and  your  stock  of  powder  and  ball  might 
cost  us  our  lives." 

"  We  are  close  to  it  I "  cried  Joe. 

Sixty  feet  !  The  mountain  still  overtopped  the  bal 
loon  by  sixty  feet. 


joe's  STEAlAQEaL  323 

Joe  took  the  blankets  and  other  coverings  and  tossed 
them  out ;  then,  without  a  word  to  Kennedy,  he  threw 
over  several  bags  of  buliets  and  lead. 

The  balloon  went  up  still  higher ;  it  surmounted  the 
dangerous  ridge,  and  the  rays  of  the  sun  shone  upon  its 
uppermost  extremity ;  but  the  car  was  still  below  the  level 
of  certain  broken  masses  of  rock,  against  which  it  would 
inevitably  be  dashed. 

"Kennedy!  Kennedy!  throw  out  your  fire-arms,  or 
we  are  lost ! "  shouted  the  doctor. 

"  Wait,  sir ;  wait  one  moment  1 "  they  heard  Joe  ex- 
claim, and,  looking  around,  they  saw  Joe  disappear  over 
the  edge  of  the  balloon. 

"  Joe !  Joe ! "  cried  Kennedy. 

"  Wretched  man ! "  was  the  doctor's  agonized  ex- 
pression. 

The  flat  top  of  the  mountain  may  have  had  about 
twenty  feet  in  breadth  at  this  point,  and,  on  the  other 
side,  the  slope  presented  a  less  declivity.  The  car  just 
touched  the  level  of  this  plane,  which  happened  to  be  quite 
even,  and  it  glided  over  a  soil  composed  of  sharp  pebbles 
that  grated  as  it  passed. 

"  We're  over  it !  we're  over  it !  we're  clear  1 "  cried  out 
an  exulting  voice  that  made  Ferguson's  heart  leap  to  his 
throat. 

The  daring  fellow  was  there,  grasping  the  lower  rim  of 
the  car,  and  running  afoot  over  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
thus  lightening  the  balloon  of  his  whole  weight.  He  had 
to  hold  on  with  all  his  strength,  too,  for  it  was  Ukely  to 
escape  his  grasp  at  any  moment. 

"When  he  had  reached  the  opposite  declivity,  and  the 
abyss  was  before  liim,  Joe,  by  a  vigorous  effort,  hoisted 
himself  from  the  ground,  and,  clambering  up  by  the  cord 
%ge,  rejoined  his  friends. 

"  That  was  all ! "  he  coolly  ejaculated. 
20 


824  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A   BALLOOIT. 

"My  brave  Joe  !  my  friend!"  said  the  doctor,  Trith 
deep  emotion. 

"  Oh !  what  I  did,"  laughed  the  other,  "  was  not  for 
you;  it  was  to  save  Mr.  Kennedy's  rifle.  I  owed  him 
that  good  turn  for  the  aifair  with  the  Arab !  I  like  to 
pay  my  debts,  and  now  we  are  even,"  added  he,  handing 
to  the  sportsman  his  favorite  weapon.  "I'd  feel  very 
badly  to  see  you  deprived  of  it." 

Kennedy  heartily  shook  the  brave  fellow's  hand,  with- 
out being  able  to  utter  a  word. 

The  Victoria  had  nothing  to  do  now  but  to  descend. 
That  was  easy  enough,  so  that  she  was  soon  at  a  height 
of  only  two  hundred  feet  from  the  ground,  and  was  then 
in  equilibrium.  The  sui-face  seemed  very  much  broken, 
as  though  by  a  convulsion  of  nature.  It  presented  numer- 
ous inequalities,  which  would  have  been  very  difficult  to 
avoid  during  the  night  with  a  balloon  that  could  no  longer 
be  controlled.  Evening  was  coming  on  rapidly,  and,  not- 
withstanding his  repugnance,  the  doctor  had  to  make  up 
his  mind  to  halt  until  morning. 

"  We'll  now  look  for  a  favorable  stopping-place,"  said 
he. 

"  Ah ! "  replied  Kennedy,  "  you  have  made  up  your 
mind,  then,  at  last  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  for  a  long  time  been  thinking  over  a  plan 
which  we'll  try  to  put  into  execution ;  it  is  only  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  and  we  shall  have  time  enough.  Throw 
out  your  anchors,  Joe ! " 

Joe  immediately  obeyed,  and  the  two  anchors  dangled 
below  the  balloon. 

"  I  see  large  forests  ahead  of  us,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  we 
are  going  to  sweep  along  their  tops,  and  we  shall  grapple 
to  sonic  tree,  for  nothing  would  make  me  think  of  passing 
the  night  below,  on  the  ground." 

"  15ut  can  wc  not  descend  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 


AT  AITOnOR.  32.* 

**  To  what  purpose  ?  I  repeat  that  it  vronid  be  dan 
gerous  for  us  to  separate,  and,  besides,  I  claim  your  hel} 
for  a  difficult  piece  of  work." 

The  Victoria,  which  was  skimming  along  the  tops  ot 
immense  forests,  soon  came  to  a  sharp  halt.  Her  anchors 
had  caught,  and,  the  ^vind  falling  as  dusk  came  on,  she  re- 
mained motionlcssly  suspended  above  a  vast  field  of  ver* 
dure,  formed  by  the  tops  of  a  forest  of  sycamores. 


CHAPTER    FORTY-SECOND. 

A  Straggle  of  Generosity.— The  Last  Sacrifice.— The  Dilating  Apparatus.— Joe't 

Adroitness.— Midnight.— The  Doctor's  Watch.— Kennedy's  Watch.— The  Lat- 
ter falls  asleep  at  his  Post.— The  Fire.— The  Howlings  of  the  Natives.— Oat 
of  Bange. 

DocTOE  Feeguson's  first  care  was  to  take  his  bearingB 
by  stellar  observation,  and  he  discovered  that  he  waa 
Bcarcely  twenty-five  miles  from  Senegal. 

"  All  that  we  can  manage  to  do,  my  friends,"  said  he, 
after  having  pointed  his  map,  "  is  to  cross  the  river ;  but, 
as  there  is  neither  bridge  nor  boat,  we  must,  at  all  hazards, 
cross  it  with  the  balloon,  and,  in  order  to  do  that,  we  must 
still  lighten  up." 

"But  I  don't  exactly  see  how  we  can  do  that?"  re- 
plied Kennedy,  anxious  about  his  fire-arms,  "  unless  one 
of  us  makes  up  his  mind  to  sacrifice  himself  for  the  rest, 
— that  is,  to  stay  behind,  and,  in  my  turn,  I  claim  that 
honor." 

"You,  indeed!"  remonstrated  Joe;  "ain't  I  used 
to—" 

"  The  question  now  is,  not  to  throw  ourselves  out  of 
the  car,  but  simply  to  reach  the  coast  of  Africa  on  foot.  I 
am  a  first-rate  walker,  a  good  sportsman,  and — " 

"  I'll  never  consent  to  it  I "  insisted  Joe. 

"  Your  generous  rivalry  is  useless,  my  brave  friends," 
said  Ferguson ;  "  I  trust  that  we  shall  not  come  to  any 
such  extremity :  besides,  if  wo  did,  instead  of  separating, 
we  should  keep  together,  so  as  to  make  our  way  across  the 
coimtry  in  company." 


THE   DOCTTOR's   KXPEDrENT.  327 

"That's  the  talk,"  said  Joe;  "a  little  tramp  won't  do 
us  any  harm." 

"  I5ut  before  we  try  that,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  we 
must  employ  a  last  means  of  lightening  the  balloon." 

"  What  wall  that  be  ?  I  should  like  to  see  it,'*  said 
Kennedy,  incredulously. 

"  We  must  get  rid  of  the  cylinder-chests,  the  spiral, 
and  the  Buntzen  battery.  Nine  hundred  pounds  make  a 
rather  heavy  load  to  carry  through  the  air." 

"  But  then,  Samuel,  how  will  you  dilate  your  gas  ?  '* 

"  I  shall  not  do  so  at  alL  We'll  have  to  get  along 
without  it." 

"  But—" 

"  Listen,  my  friends :  I  have  calculated  very  exactly 
the  amount  of  ascensional  force  left  to  us,  and  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  carry  us  every  one  with  the  few  objects  that 
remain.  We  shall  make  in  all  a  weight  of  hardly  five 
hundred  pounds,  including  the  two  anchors  which  I  desire 
to  keep." 

"  Dear  doctor,  you  know  more  about  the  matter  than 
we  do ;  you  are  the  sole  judge  of  the  situation.  Tell  us 
what  we  ought  to  do,  and  we  will  do  it." 

"  I  am  at  your  orders,  master,"  added  Joe. 

"  I  repeat,  my  friends,  that  however  serious  the  deci 
sion  may  appear,  we  must  sacrifice  our  apparatus." 

"  Let  it  go,  then  !  "  said  Kennedy,  promptly. 

"  To  work ! "  said  Joe. 

It  was  no  easy  job.  The  apparatus  had  to  be  taken 
down  piece  by  piece.  First,  they  took  out  the  mixing 
reservoir,  then  the  one  belonging  to  the  cylinder,  and 
lastly  the  tank  in  which  the  decomposition  of  the  water 
was  efiected.  The  united  strength  of  all  three  travellers 
was  required  to  detach  these  reservoirs  from  the  bottom 
of  the  car  in  which  they  had  been  so  firmly  secured ;  but 
Kemiedy  was  so  strong,  Joe  so  adroit,  and  the  doctor  so 

•2C* 


328  FIVE   WEEKS   IN   A  BALLOON. 

ingenious,  that  they  finally  succeeded.  The  difierent 
pieces  were  thrown  out,  one  after  the  other,  and  they  dis 
appeared  below,  making  huge  gaps  in  the  foliage  of  the 
sycamores. 

"  The  black  fellows  will  be  mightily  astonished,"  said 
Joe,  "  at  finding  things  like  those  in  the  woods ;  they'll 
make  idols  of  them  1 " 

The  next  thing  to  be  looked  after  was  the  displace- 
ment of  the  pipes  that  were  fastened  in  the  balloon  and 
connected  with  the  spiral  Joe  succeeded  in  cutting  the 
caoutchouc  jointings  above  the  car,  but  when  he  came  to 
the  pipes  he  found  it  more  difficult  to  disengage  them,  be- 
cause they  were  held  by  their  upper  extremity  and  fast- 
ened by  wires  to  the  very  circlet  of  the  valve. 

Then  it  was  that  Joe  showed  wonderful  adroitness. 
In  his  naked  feet,  so  as  not  to  scratch  the  covering,  he 
succeeded  by  the  aid  of  the  network,  and  in  spite  of  the 
oscillations  of  the  balloon,  in  climbing  to  the  upper  ex- 
tremity, and  after  a  thousand  difficulties,  in  holding  on 
with  one  hand  to  that  slippery  surface,  while  he  detached 
the  outside  screws  that  secured  the  pipes  in  their  place. 
These  were  then  easily  taken  out,  and  drawn  away  by  the 
lower  end,  which  was  hermetically  sealed  by  means  of  a 
strong  lijrature. 

The  Victoria,  relieved  of  this  considerable  weight,  rose 
upright  in  the  air  and  tugged  strongly  at  the  anchor-rope. 

About  midnight  this  work  ended  without  accident,  but 
at  the  cost  of  most  severe  exertion,  and  the  trio  partook 
of  a  luncheon  of  pemmican  and  cold  punch,  as  the  doctor 
had  no  more  fire  to  place  at  Joe's  disposal. 

Besides,  the  latter  and  Kennedy  were  dropping  off 
their  feet  with  fatigue. 

"  Lie  down,  my  friends,  and  get  some  rest,"  said  the 
doctor.  "  I'll  take  the  first  watch ;  at  two  o'clock  I'll 
waken  Kennedy ;  at  four,  Kennedy  will  waken  Joe,  and 


THE  doctoe'b  anxiety.  329 

at  hix  we'll  start ;  and  may  Ileaven  have  us  in  its  keeping 
for  this  last  day  of  the  trip  1 " 

Without  waiting  to  be  coaxed,  the  doctor's  two  com- 
panions stretched  themselves  at  the  bottom  of  the  car  and 
dropped  into  profound  slumber  on  the  instant. 

The  night  was  calm.  A  few  clouds  broke  against  the 
last  quarter  of  the  moon,  whose  uncertain  rays  scarcely 
pierced  the  darkness.  Ferguson,  resting  his  elbows  on  the 
rim  of  the  car,  gazed  attentively  around  him.  He  watched 
with  close  attention  the  dark  screen  of  foliage  that  spread 
beneath  him,  hiding  the  ground  from  his  view.  The  least 
noise  aroused  his  suspicions,  and  he  questioned  even  the 
slightest  rustling  of  the  leaves. 

He  was  in  that  mood  which  solitude  makes  more  keen- 
ly felt,  and  during  which  vague  terrors  moimt  to  the  brain. 
At  the  close  of  such  a  journey,  after  having  surmounted 
so  many  obstacles,  and  at  the  moment  of  touching  the 
goal,  one's  fears  are  more  vivid,  one's  emotions  keener, 
llie  point  of  arrival  seems  to  fly  farther  from  our  gaze. 

Moreover,  the  present  situation  had  nothing  very  con- 
solatory about  it.  They  were  in  the  midst  of  a  barbarous 
country,  and  dependent  upon  a  vehicle  that  might  fail 
them  at  any  moment.  The  doctor  no  longer  counted  im- 
phcitly  on  his  balloon;  the  time  had  gone  by  when  ho 
manoeuvred  it  boldly  because  he  felt  sure  of  it. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  impressions,  the  doctor, 
from  time  to  time,  thought  that  he  heard  vague  sounds  in 
the  vast  forests  around  him ;  he  even  fancied  that  he  saw 
a  swift  gleam  of  fire  shining  between  the  trees.  He  looked 
sharply  and  turned  his  night-glass  toward  the  spot;  but 
there  was  nothing  to  be  seen,  and  the  profoundest  silenco 
appeared  to  return. 

He  had,  no  doubt,  been  under  the  dominion  of  a  mere 
hallucination.  He  continued  to  listen,  but  without  hearing 
the  slightest  noise.      When  his  watch  had  expired,  he 


330  FTVR   WEEKS   m    A  BALLOON. 

woke  Kennedy  and,  enjoining  upon  him  to  observe  the 
extremest  vigilance,  took  his  place  beside  Joe,  and  fell 
Bound  asleep. 

Kennedy,  while  still  rubbing  his  eyes,  which  he  could 
scarcely  keep  open,  calmly  lit  his  pipe.  He  then  ensconced 
himself  in  a  corner,  and  began  to  smoke  vigorously  by  way 
of  keeping  awake. 

The  most  absolute  silence  reigned  around  him ;  a  light 
wind  shook  the  tree-tops  and  gently  rocked  the  car,  invit- 
ing the  hunter  to  taste  the  sleep  that  stole  over  him  in 
spite  of  himself.  He  strove  hard  to  resist  it,  and  repeated- 
ly opened  his  eyes  to  plunge  into  the  outer  darkness  one 
of  those  looks  that  see  nothing ;  but  at  last,  yielding  to 
fatigue,  he  sank  back  and  slumbered. 

How  long  he  bad  been  buried  in  this  stupor  he  knew 
not,  but  he  was  suddenly  aroused  from  it  by  a  strange, 
unexpected  crackling  sound. 

He  rubbed  his  eyes  and  sprang  to  his  feet.  An  intense 
glare  half-blinded  him  and  heated  his  cheek — the  forest 
was  in  flames  ! 

"  Fire  !  fire  ! "  he  shouted,  scarcely  comprehendmg 
what  had  happened. 

His  two  companions  started  up  in  alarm. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  was  the  doctor's  immediate 
exclamation. 

"  Fire  !  "  said  Joe.     "  But  who  could — " 

At  this  moment  loud  yells  were  heard  under  the  foli- 
age, which  was  now  illuminated  as  brightly  as  the  day 

"  Ah  !  the  savages  !  "  cried  Joe  again ;  "  they  have  set 
fire  to  the  forest  so  as  to  be  the  more  certain  of  burning 
us  up." 

"  The  Talabas  1  Al-Hadji's  marabouts,  no  doubt,"  said 
the  doctor. 

A  circle  of  fire  hemmed  the  Victoria  in  ;  the  crackling 
of  the  dry  wood  mingled  with  the  hissing  and  sputtering 


A.  a-AEEOW   ESCAPE.  831 

of  the  green  bx-anches ;  the  clambering  vines,  the  foliage, 
all  the  living  part  of  this  vegetation,  -writhed  in  the  de- 
structive element.  The  eye  took  in  nothing  but  one  vast 
ocean  of  flame ;  the  large  trees  stood  forth  in  black  relief 
in  this  huge  furnace,  their  branches  covered  with  glo\ving 
coals,  while  the  whole  blazing  mass,  the  entire  conflagra- 
tion, was  reflected  on  the  clouds,  and  the  travellers  could 
fancy  themselves  enveloped  in  a  hollow  globe  of  fire. 

"  Let  us  escape  to  the  ground  !  "  shouted  Kennedy 
"  it  is  our  only  chance  of  safety  ! " 

But  Ferguson  checked  him  with  a  firm  grasp,  and, 
dashing  at  the  anchor-rope,  severed  it  with  one  well-di- 
rected blow  of  his  hatchet.  Meanwhile,  the  flames,  leap- 
ing up  at  the  balloon,  already  quivered  on  its  illuminated 
sides ;  but  the  Victoria,  released  from  her  fastenings,  spun 
upward  a  thousand  feet  into  the  air. 

Frightful  yells  resounded  through  the  forest,  along 
with  the  report  of  fire-arms,  while  the  balloon,  caught  in  a 
current  of  air  that  rose  with  the  dawn  of  day,  was  borne  to 
the  westward. 

It  was  now  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


CnAPTER    FORTY-TmUD. 

The  TaJ«bM.— The  Pursuit.— A  Devastated  Country.— The  Wind  begins  to  fliL 
—The  Victoria  sinks.— The  last  of  the  Provisions.- The  Leaps  of  the  Bal- 
loon.— A  Defence  with  Fire-arms. — The  Wind  freshens. — The  Senegal  River, 
—The  Cataracts  of  Gouiua.— The  Hot  Air.— The  Passage  of  the  River. 

"  Uad  we  not  taken  the  precaution  to  lighten  the  bal- 
loon yesterday  evening,  we  should  have  been  lost  beyond 
redemption,"  said  the  doctor,  after  a  long  silence. 

"  See  what's  gained  by  doing  tilings  at  the  right 
time  !  "  replied  Joe.  "  One  gets  out  of  scrapes  then,  and 
nothing  is  more  natural." 

"  We  are  not  out  of  danger  yet,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  What  do  you  still  appreliend  ? "  queried  Kennedy 
"  The  balloon  can't  descend  without  your  permission,  and 
even  were  it  to  do  so — " 

"  Were  it  to  do  so,  Dick  ?    Look ! " 

Tliey  had  just  passed  the  borders  of  the  forest,  and 
the  three  friends  could  see  some  thirty  mounted  men  clad 
in  broad  pantaloons  and  the  floating  bournouse.  They  were 
armed,  some  with  lances,  and  others  with  long  muskets, 
and  they  were  following,  on  their  quick,  fiery  little  steeds, 
the  direction  of  the  balloon,^  which  was  moving  at  only 
moderate  speed. 

When  they  caught  sight  of  the  aCronauts,  they  uttered 
savage  cries,  and  brandished  their  weapons.  Anger  and 
menace  could  be  read  upon  their  swarthy  faces,  made 
more  ferocious  by  thm  but  bristling  beards.  Meanwhile 
they  galloped  along  without  difficulty  over  the  low  leveli 
and  gentle  declivities  that  lead  down  to  the  SenegaL 


THE  PXTRSurr.  333 

"It  IB,  indeed,  theyl"  said  the  doctor;  "the  cruel 
Palabas!  the  ferocious  marabouts  of  Al-Uadjil  I  would 
rather  find  myself  in  the  middle  of  the  forest  encircled  by 
wild  beasts  than  fall  into  the  hands  of  these  ban- 
ditti" 

"  They  haven't  a  very  obliging  look ! "  assented  Ken- 
nedy; "and  they  are  rougli,  stalwart  fellows." 

"  Ilappily  those  brutes  can't  fly,"  remarked  Joe ;  "and 
that's  something." 

"  See, "  said  Ferguson,  "  those  villages  in  ruins,  those 
huts  burned  down — that  is  their  work!  Wliere  vast 
stretches  of  cultivated  land  were  once  seen,  they  have 
brought  barrenness  and  devastation." 

"  At  all  events,  however,"  interposed  Kennedy,  "  they 
can't  overtake  us ;  and,  if  we  succeed  in  putting  the  river 
between  us  and  them,  we  are  safe." 

"  Perfectly,  Dick,"  replied  Ferguson  ;  "  but  we  must 
not  fall  to  the  ground ! "  and,  as  ho  said  this,  he  glanced 
at  the  barometer. 

"  In  any  case,  Joe,"  added  Kennedy,  "  it  would  do  ui 
no  harm  to  look  to  our  fire-arms." 

"  No  harm  in  the  world,  Mr.  Dick !  "Wo  are  lucky 
that  we  didn't  scatter  them  along  the  road." 

"  My  rifle  ! "  said  the  sportsman-  "  1  hope  that  I  shall 
never  be  separated  from  it ! " 

And  80  saying,  Kennedy  loaded  the  pet  piece  with  the 
greatest  oare,  for  he  had  plenty  of  powder  and  ball  re- 
maining. 

"  At  what  height  are  we  ?  "  he  asked  the  doctor. 

"  About  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet ;  but  we  no  longer 
have  the  power  of  seeking  favorable  cun-ents,  either  going 
up  or  coming  down.  Wo  are  at  the  mercy  of  the  bal- 
loon I" 

"  That  is  vexatious  ! "  rejoined  Kennedy.  "  The  V/ind 
It  poor ;  but  if  we  had  come  across  a  hurricane  likf  <i'. me 


334  FIVE   WEEKS    m   A   BAliLOON. 

of  those  we  met  before,  these  vile  brigands  would  have 
been  out  of  sight  long  ago." 

"  The  rascals  follow  us  at  their  leisure,"  said  Joe. 
"They're  only  at  a  short  gallop.  Quite  a  nice  little 
ride ! "      • 

"  If  we  were  within  range,"  sighed  the  sportsman,  "  I 
should  amuse  myself  wT.th  dismounting  a  few  of  them," 

"  Exactlj^'  said  the  doctor;  "but  then  they  would 
have  you  %vithin  range  also,  and  our  balloon  would  offer 
only  too  plain  a  target  to  the  bullets  from  theii-  long  guns; 
and,  if  they  were  to  make  a  hole  in  it,  I  leave  you  to  judge 
what  our  situation  would  be  1 " 

The  pursuit  of  the  Talabas  continued  all  morning ; 
and  by  eleven  o'clock  the  aeronauts  had  made  scarcely 
fifteen  miles  to  the  westward. 

The  doctor  was  anxiously  watching  for  the  least  cloud 
on  the  horizon.  He  feared,  above  all  things,  a  change  in 
the  atmosphere.  Should  he  be  thrown  back  toward  the 
Niger,  what  Avould  become  of  him  ?  Besides,  he  remarked 
that  the  balloon  tended  to  fall  considerably.  Since  the 
start,  he  had  already  lost  more  than  three  hundred  feet, 
and  the  Senegal  must  be  about  a  dozen  miles  distant. 
At  his  present  rate  of  speed,  he  could  count  upon  travel- 
ling only  three  hours  longer. 

At  this  moment  his  attention  was  attracted  by  fresh 
cries.  The  Talabas  appeared  to  be  much  excited,  and 
were  spurring  their  horses. 

The  doctor  consulted  his  barometer,  and  at  once  dis- 
covered the  cause  of  these  symptoms. 

"  Are  we  descending  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Yes  1 "  replied  the  doctor. 

"  The  mischief ! "  thought  Joe. 

In  the  lapse  of  fifteen  minutes  the  Victoria  was  only 
on^  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  ground;  but  the 
wind  was  much  stronger  than  before. 


DE8PEEATE    EFFOETS   TO    ESCAPE,  835 

The  Talabas  checked  their  horses,  and  soon  a  volley 
of  musketry  pealed  out  on  the  air. 

"  Too  far,  you  fools  ! "  bawled  Joe.  "  I  think  it  would 
be  well  to  keep  those  scamps  at  a  distance." 

And,  as  he  spoke,  he  aimed  at  one  of  the  horsemen 
who  was  farthest  to  the  front,  and  fired.  The  Talaba  fell 
headlong,  and,  his  companions  halting  for  a  moment,  the 
balloon  gained  upon  them. 

"  They  are  prudent ! "  said  Kennedy. 

"  Because  they  think  that  they  are  certain  to  take  us," 
replied  the  doctor ;  "  and,  they  will  succeed  if  we  descend 
much  farther.  We  must,  absolutely,  get  higher  into  the 
air." 

"  What  can  we  throw  out  ?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  All  that  remains  of  our  stock  of  pemmican ;  that  will 
be  thirty  pounds  less  weight  to  carry." 

"  Out  it  goes,  sir ! "  said  Joe,  obeying  orders. 

The  car,  which  was  now  almost  touching  the  ground, 
"ose  again,  amid  the  cries  of  the  Talabas ;  but,  half  an 
nour  later,  the  balloon  was  again  falling  rapidly,  because 
the  gas  was  escaping  through  the  pores  of  the  covering. 

Ere  long  the  car  was  once  more  grazing  the  soil,  and 
Al-IIadji's  black  riders  rushed  toward  it;  but,  as  he- 
quently  happens  in  like  cases,  the  balloon  had  scarcely 
touched  the  surface  ere  it  rebounded,  and  only  came  down 
again  a  mile  away. 

"  So  we  shall  not  escape  I "  said  Kennedy,  between  his 
teeth. 

"  Tlirow  out  our  reser\'ed  store  of  brandy,  Joe,"  cried 
the  doctor ;  "  our  instruments,  and  every  thing  that  has 
any  weight,  even  to  our  last  anchor,  because  go  they 
must  1 " 

Joe  flung  out  the  barometers  and  thermometers,  but 
all  tliat  amounted  to  little ;  and  the  balloon,  which  had 
rifcn  for  an  instant,  fell  again  toward  the  ground. 
15 


336  nvB  WEEKS  m  a  balloos. 

The  Talabas  flew  toward  it,  and  at  length  were  not 
more  than  two  hundred  paces  away. 

"  Throw  out  the  two  fowling-pieces ! "  shouted  Fe^ 
guson. 

"  Not  without  discharging  them,  at  least,"  responded 
the  sportsman ;  and  four  shots  in  quick  succession  struc 
the   thick  of  the    advancing  group  of  horsemen.     Fou* 
Talabas  fell,  amid  the  frantic  howls  and  imprecations  of 
their  comrades. 

The  Victoria  ascended  once  more,  and  made  some 
enormous  leaps,  like  a  huge  gum-elastic  ball,  bounding 
and  rebounding  through  the  air.  A  strange  sight  it  was 
to  see  these  unfortunate  men  endeavoring  to  escape  by 
ohose  huge  aerial  strides,  and  seeming,  like  the  giant 
Antajus,  to  receive  fi-esh  strength  every  time  they  touched 
the  earth.  But  this  situation  had  to  terminate.  It  was 
now  nearly  noon,  the  Victoria  was  getting  empty  and 
exhausted,  and  assuming  a  more  and  more  elongated  form 
every  instant.  Its  outer  covering  was  becoming  flaccid, 
and  floated  loosely  in  the  air,  and  the  folds  of  the  silk 
rustled  and  grated  on  each  other. 

"  Heaven  abandons  us ! "  said  Kennedy ;  "  we  have  to 
fall ! " 

Joe  made  no  answer.  He  kept  looking  intently  at  hia 
master. 

"  No ! "  said  the  latter ;  "  we  have  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  poimds  yet  to  throw  out." 

*'•  AVbat  can  it  be,  then  ?  "  said  Kennedy,  thinking  that 
the  doctor  must  be  going  mad. 

"  The  car ! "  was  his  reply ;  "  we  can  cling  to  the 
network.  There  we  can  hang  on  in  the  meshes  until  we 
reach  the  river.     Quick !  quick !  " 

And  these  daring  men  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  to 
avail  themselves  of  this  last  desperate  means  of  escape. 
They  clutched  the  network,  as  the  doctor  directed,  an<l 


THE  EIVEB  m   SIGHT.  3H7 

Joe,  holding  on  by  one  hand,  with  the  other  cut  the  cords 
that  Biispcndc'd  the  car;  and  the  latter  dropped  to  the 
ground  just  as  the  balloon  was  sinking  for  the  last  time. 

"  Hurra !  hurra ! "  shouted  the  brave  fellow  exultingly, 
as  the  Victoria,  once  more  relieved,  shot  up  again  to  a 
height  of  three  hundred  feet. 

The  Talabas  spurred  their  horses,  which  now  came 
tearing  on  at  a  furious  gallop ;  but  the  balloon,  falling  in 
with  a  much  more  favorable  wind,  shot  ahead  of  them 
and  was  rapidly  carried  toward  a  hill  that  stretched  across 
the  horizon  to  the  westward.  This  was  a  circumstance 
favorable  to  the  aeronauts,  because  they  could  rise  over 
the  hill,  while  AI-Hadji's  horde  had  to  diverge  to  the 
northward  in  order  to  pass  this  obstacle. 

The  three  friends  still  clung  to  the  network.  They 
had  been  able  to  fasten  it  under  their  feet,  where  it  had 
formed  a  sort  of  swinging  pocket. 

Suddenly,  after  they  had  crossed  the  hill,  the  doctor  ex 
claimed :  "  The  river !  the  river !  the  Senegal,  my  friends  I 

And  about  two  miles  ahead  of  them,  there  was  indeed 
the  river  rolling  along  its  broad  mass  of  water,  while  the 
farther  bank,  which  was  low  and  fertile,  offered  a  sure 
refuge,  and  a  place  favorable  for  a  descent. 

"Another  quarter  of  an  hour,"  said  Ferguson,  "and 
we  are  saved  !  " 

But  it  was  not  to  happen  thus ;  the  empty  balloon  de- 
scended slowly  upon  a  tract  almost  entirely  bare  of  vege- 
tation. It  was  made  up  of  long  slopes  and  stony  plains,  a 
few  bushes  and  some  coarse  grass,  scorched  by  the  sun. 

The  Vict07'ia  touched  the  ground  several  times,  and 
rose  again,  but  her  rebound  was  diminishing  in  height  and 
length.  At  the  last  one,  it  caught  by  the  upper  part  of 
the  network  in  the  lofty  branches  of  a  baobab,  the  only 
tree  that  stood  there,  solitary  and  alone,  in  the  midst  of 
^be  waste. 


838  FIVE   WEEKS    IN   A   BALLOOW. 

"It's  all  over,"  said  Kennedy. 

"And  at  a  hundred  paces  only  from  the  river!" 
groaned  Joe. 

The  three  hapless  aeronauts  descended  to  the  ground, 
and  the  doctor  drew  his  companions  toward  the  Senegal. 

At  this  point  the  river  sent  forth  a  prolonged  roaring; 
and  when  Ferguson  reached  its  bank,  he  recognized  the 
falls  of  Gouina.  But  not  a  boat,  not  a  living  creature  was 
to  be  seen.  "With  a  breadth  of  two  thousand  feet,  the 
Senegal  precipitates  itself  for  a  height  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  with  a  thundering  reverberation.  It  ran,  where  they 
saw  it,  from  east  to  west,  and  the  line  of  rocks  that  barred 
its  course  extended  from  north  to  south.  In  the  midst  of 
the  falls,  rocks  of  strange  forms  started  up  like  huge  ante- 
diluvian animals,  petrified  tliere  amid  the  waters. 

The  impossibility  of  crossing  this  gulf  was  self-evident, 
and  Kennedy  could  not  restrain  a  gesture  of  despair. 

But  Dr.  Ferguson,  with  an  energetic  accent  of  un- 
daunted daring,  exclaimed — 

"  All  is  not  over ! " 

"  I  knew  it,"  said  Joe,  with  that  confidence  in  his  mas- 
ter which  nothing  could  ever  shake. 

The  sight  of  the  dried-up  grass  had  inspired  the  doctor 
with  a  bold  idea.  It  was  the  last  chance  of  escape.  He 
led  his  friends  quickly  back  to  where  they  had  left  the 
covering  of  the  balloon. 

"We  have  at  least  an  hour's  start  of  those  banditti," 
said  he ;  "  let  us  lose  no  time,  my  friends ;  gather  a  quan- 
tity of  this  dried  grass ;  I  want  a  hundred  pounds  of  it,  at 
least." 

"  For  what  purpose  ?  "  asked  Kennedy,  surprised. 

"  I  have  no  more  gas ;  well,  I'll  cross  tlie  river  with  hot 
air  I" 

"Ah,  doctor,"  exclaimed  Kennedy,  "you  are,  indeed, 
^  great  roauJ" 


XBTLATura  ma  ballooit  wrm  nor  axsu      <i6^ 

Joe  and  Kennedy  at  once  went  to  work,  and  soon  had 
an  immense  pile  of  dried  grass  heaped  up  near  the  baobab. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  doctor  had  enlarged  the  orifice 
of  the  balloon  by  cutting  it  open  at  the  lower  end.  Ue 
then  was  very  careful  to  expel  the  last  remnant  of  hydro- 
gen through  the  valve,  after  which  he  heaped  up  a  quan- 
tity of  grass  under  the  balloon,  and  set  fire  to  it. 

It  takes  but  a  little  while  to  inflate  a  balloon  with  hot 
air.  A  heat  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  degrees  is  suffi- 
cient to  diminish  the  weight  of  the  air  it  contains  to  the 
extent  of  one-half,  by  rarefying  it.  Thus,  the  Viclori-. 
quickly  began  to  assume  a  more  rounded  form.  Theiv, 
was  no  lack  of  grass ;  the  fire  was  kept  in  full  blast  by  the 
doctor's  assiduous  efforts,  and  the  balloon  grew  fuller  every 
instant. 

It  was  then  a  quarter  to  four  o'clock. 

At  this  moment  the  band  of  Talabau  reappeared  about 
two  miles  to  the  northward,  and  the  three  friends  could 
Lear  their  cries,  and  the  clatter  of  their  horses  galloping 
at  full  speed. 

"In  twenty  minutes  they  will  be  herel"  said  Ken- 
nedy. 

"  More  grass  1  more  grass,  Joo  I  In  ten  minutes  we 
shall  have  her  full  of  hot  air." 

"  Here  it  is,  doctor  1 " 

The  Victoria  was  now  two-thirds  inflated. 

"  Come,  my  friends,  let  us  take  hold  of  the  network,  as 
wo  did  before." 

"  All  right ! "  they  answered  together. 

In  about  ton  minutes  a  few  jerking  motions  by  the  bal- 
loon indicated  that  it  was  disposed  to  start  again.  The 
Talabas  were  approaching.  They  were  hardly  five  hu»- 
\rcdi  paces  away. 

"  Hold  on  fast  I "  cried  Ferguson. 

"  nave  no  fear,  master — have  no  fear  I " 
ih* 


2kO  rrra  wksss  zs  a  ballooit. 

And  the  doctor,  with  his  foot  pushed  another  heAp  of 
grass  upon  the  fire. 

"With  this  the  balloon,  now  completely  inflated  by  the 
increased  temperature,  moved  away,  sweeping  the  branches 
of  the  baobab  in  her  flight. 

"  We're  ofi"! "  shouted  Joe. 

A  volley  of  musketry  responded  to  his  exclamation.  A 
btllet  even  ploughed  his  shoulder ;  but  Kennedy,  leaning 
OTier,  and  discharging  his  rifle  with  one  hand,  brought 
ai  other  of  the  enemy  to  the  ground. 

Cries  of  fury  exceeding  ail  description  hailed  the  do 
p.'irture  of  the  balloon,  which  had  at  once  ascended  nearly 
eight  hundred  feet.  A  swift  current  caught  and  swept  it 
along  with  the  most  alarming  oscillations,  while  the  in- 
trepid doctor  and  his  friends  saw  the  gulf  of  the  cataracts 
yawning  below  them. 

Ten  minutes  later,  and  without  having  exchanged  a 
word,  they  descended  gradually  toward  the  other  bank  of 
the  river. 

There,  astonished,  speechless,  terrified,  stood  a  group 
of  men  clad  in  the  French  uniform.  Judge  of  their  amaze- 
ment when  they  saw  the  balloon  rise  from  the  right  bank 
of  the  river.  They  had  well-nigh  taken  it  for  some  celes- 
tial phenomenon,  but  their  officers,  a  lieutenant  of  marines 
and  a  naval  ensign,  having  seen  mention  made  of  Di\  Fer- 
guson's daring  expedition,  in  the  European  papers,  quickly 
explained  the  real  state  of  the  case. 

The  balloon,  losing  its  inflation  little  by  little,  settled 
with  the  daring  travellers  still  clinging  to  its  network; 
but  it  was  dovibtful  whether  it  would  rea«h  the  land.  At 
once  some  of  the  brave  Frenchmen  rushed  into  the  water 
and  caiaght  the  three  aeronauts  in  their  arms  just  as  the 
Victoria  fell  at  the  distance  of  a  few  fathoms  from  the  U"ft 
bank  of  the  SenegaL 

"  Dr.  Ferguson  1 "  exclaimed  the  lieutenant. 


THB  LAST  OF  THB  "  VIOTOEIA."  841 

•*Tlie  same,  sir,"  replied  the  doctor,  quietly,  *'and  liii 
two  friends."  , 

The  Frenchmen  escorted  our  travellers  from  the  river, 
while  the  balloon,  half-empty,  and  home  away  by  a  swift 
current,  sped  on,  to  plunge,  like  a  huge  bubble,  head- 
long with  the  waters  of  the  Senegal,  into  the  cataracts  of 
Gouina. 

"The  poor  Victoria f^^  was  Joe's  farewell  remark. 

The  doctor  could  not  restrain  a  tear,  and  extending  his 
hands  his  two  friends  wrung  them  silently  with  that  de^ 
emotion  which  reauirea  no  SDoken  words 


CnATTER    FORTT-FOURTn. 

Otrndnslon.— The  Certlflcate.— The  French  SettlementB.— The  Post  of  Medln*  - 
The  Basilic— Saliii  Loalfl.— The  Eii^'lish  Frigate.— The  Iletam  to  Loudon. 

The  expedition  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  had  beeu 
sent  by  thf  govenior  of  Senegal.  It  consisted  of  two  olii- 
cers,  Messrs.  Dufraisse,  lieutenant  of  marines,  and  Roda- 
mel,  naval  ensign,  and  with  these  were  a  sergeant  and 
seven  soldiers.  For  two  days  they  had  been  engaged  in 
reconnoitring  the  most  favorable  situation  for  a  post  at 
Gouina,  when  they  became  witnesses  of  Dr.  Ferguson's 
arrival. 

The  warm  greetings  and  felicitations  of  which  our  trav- 
ellers were  the  recipients  may  be  imagined.  The  French- 
men, and  they  alone,  having  had  ocular  proof  of  the 
accomplishment  of  the  daring  project,  naturally  became 
Dr.  Ferguson's  witnesses.  Hence  the  doctor  at  once 
asked  them  to  give  their  official  testimony  of  hia  arrival  a 
the  cataracts  of  Gouina. 

"You  would  have  no  objection  to  signing  a  certifi- 
cate of  the  fact,  would  you  ?  "  he  inqmred  of  Lieutenant 
Dufraisse. 

"  At  your  orders ! "  the  latter  instantly  replied. 

The  Englishmen  were  escorted  to  a  provisional  post 
established  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  they  found  the 
most  assiduous  attention,  and  every  thing  to  supply  their 
wants.  And  there  the  following  certificate  was  drawn  up 
in  the  terms  in  which  it  appears  to-day,  in  the  archives  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London : 


"  "We,  the  undersigned,  do  hereby  declare  that,  on  the 
day  herein  mentioned,  we  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Dr. 
Ferguson  and  his  two  companions,  Richard  Kennedy  and 
Joseph  Wilson,  clinging  to  the  cordage  and  network  of  a 
balloon,  and  that  the  said  balloon  fell  at  a  distance  of  a  few 
paces  from  us  into  the  river,  and  being  swept  away  by  the 
current  was  lost  in  the  cataracts  of  Gouina.  In  testimony 
whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals  beside 
those  of  the  persons  hereinabove  named,  for  the  informa- 
tion of  all  whom  it  may  concern. 

"Done  at  the  Cataracts  of  Gouina,  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1862. 

"  (Signed),        "  Samuel  Ferguson, 

"  Richard  Kennedy, 

"  Joseph  Wilson, 

"DuFRAissE,  Lieutenant  oflfartnes, 

"RoDAMEL,  Naval  EnsigUy 

"D  UP  ATS,  Serffeanty 

"  Flippeau,     AIator, 

"  Pelissier,    Lorois, 
Rascagnet,  Guil- 

LON,  LeBEL, 


Privates.''* 


Here  ended  the  astonishing  journey  of  Dr.  Ferguson 
and  his  brave  companions,  as  vouched  for  by  undeniable 
testimony ;  and  they  found  themselves  among  friends  in 
the  midst  of  most  liospitable  tribes,  whose  relations  with 
the  French  settlements  are  frequent  and  amicable. 

They  had  arrived  at  Senegal  on  Saturday,  the  24th  of 
May,  and  on  the  27th  of  the  same  month  they  reached  the 
post  of  Medina,  situated  a  little  farther  to  the  north,  but 
on  the  river. 

There  the  French  officers  received  them  with  open 
arms,  and  lavished  upon  them  all  the  resources  of  their 
hospitality.    Thus  aided,  the  doctor  and  his  friends  wer« 


Hi  MTE  WEEKS  US  A  BAXLOOlt. 

enabled  to  embark  ahnost  immediately  on  the  small  steam- 
er called  the  Basilic^  which  ran  do-vm  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river. 

Two  weeks  later,  on  the  10th  of  June,  they  arrived  at 
Saint  Louis,  where  the  governor  gave  them  a  magnificent 
reception,  and  they  recovered  completely  from  their  eX' 
citement  and  fatigue. 

Besides,  Joe  said  to  every  one  who  chose  to  listen : 

"  That  was  a  stupid  trip  of  ours,  after  all,  and  I 
wouldn't  advise  anybody  who  is  greedy  for  excitement  to 
undertake  it.  It  gets  very  tiresome  at  the  last,  and  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  the  adventures  on  Lake  Tchad  and  at  the 
Senegal  River,  I  do  believe  that  we'd  have  died  of  yawn- 
ing." 

An  English  frigate  was  just  about  to  sail,  and  the  three 
Iravellers  procured  passage  on  board  of  her.  On  the  25th 
of  June  they  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  and  on  the  next  day 
%t  London. 

We  will  not  describe  the  reception  they  got  from  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  nor  the  intense  curiosity  and 
consideration  of  which  they  became  the  objects.  Ken- 
nedy set  off,  at  once,  for  Edinburgh,  with  his  famous  rifle, 
for  he  was  in  haste  to  relieve  the  anxiety  of  his  faithful 
old  housekeeper. 

The  doctor  and  his  devoted  Joe  remained  the  same 
men  that  we  have  known  tnem,  excepting  that  one  change 
took  place  at  their  own  suggestion. 

They  ceased  to  be  master  and  servant,  in  order  to  be- 
come bosom  friends. 

The  journals  of  all  Europe  were  untiring  in  their 
praises  of  the  bold  explorers,  and  the  Daily  Telegraph 
struck  off  an  edition  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
thousand  copies  on  the  day  when  it  published  a  sketch  of 
the  trip. 

Doctor  Ferguson,  at  a  public  meeting  of  the  Royal 


i 


axBXTLt  or  THB  iEZPSt>mos.  845 

Geographical  Society,  gave  a  recital  of  his  journey  through 
the  air,  and  obtained  for  himself  and  his  companions  tho 
golden  modal  set  apart  to  reward  the  most  remarkable 
exploring  expedition  of  the  year  18G2. 


The  first  result  of  Dr.  Ferguson's  expedition  was  to 
establish,  in  the  most  precise  manner,  the  facts  and  geo- 
graphical survey*  reported  by  Messrs.  Barth,  Burton, 
Speke,  and  others.  Thanks  to  the  still  more  recent  expe- 
ditions of  Messr?.  Speke  and  Grant,  De  Heuglin  and  Mun- 
jnnger,  who  ha'^e  been  ascending  to  the  sources  of  the 
Nile,  and  penetrating  to  the  centre  of  Africa,  we  shall  be 
enabled  ere  long  to  verify,  in  turn,  the  discoveries  of  Dr. 
Fer^Ti«)n  in  that  vast  region  comprised  between  the  foiu> 
(oe'dQ  and  ^irty-third  degrees  of  east  longitude. 


VSB    97r]> 


i 


i 


AMERECAI^    HANDBOOKS. 

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THE  AMERICAN  BOOKOFCEN- 
TSEL  BEHAVi^R.-A  co,upkt.-"lmuduook 
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Art  of  AmUSinS.— A.i'ew  work,  by  I'rof. 
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GILBERT'S    BOOK    OF    PANTO- 

mlmes,  Acting  Charades,  Parlor 
Theatricals,  and  Tableaux,    it  also 

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ALBUM  VERSES,  expressivj;  of  almost 
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HOW  TO  WRITE  A  LETTER.-A 
complete  letter-v,'riter  for  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
1 1  tells  how  to  write  a  letter  npon  any  subject  out 
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KOW  TO  WRITE  SHORTHAND. 

without  a  teacher,— A  practical  element 
ary  guide  to  Stenographic  Writing  and  Reporting. 
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by  any  other  method. 

COMMON  COMPLAINTS,  AND 
HOW  TO  CURE  THEM.-By  iii:  Lafat- 

KTTE  Btbn,  SI.l).  As  a  bowk  ot  ready  remedies 
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THE      PRACTICAL     IVIACICIAN: 

and  Ventriloquist's  Guide.    Byase. 

lies  of  Fy.--tematic  Lessons  the  learner  is  conducted 
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TRICKS  AND  DIVERSIONS  WITH 

CARDS.— An  entirely  new  work,  containing 
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illustrated. 

The  HUNTER'S  AND  TRAPPER'S 

COMPLETE  CUIDE.-A  practical  man- 
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OFFENBACH'S  DANCING  WITH- 
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PERSONAL  BEAUTY:  or.  the  whole 

Art  of  Attaining  liodilv  \  igor,  I'hysical  Develop, 
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Address  HUKST  &  CO.  122  Nassau  St.  W.  Y, 


AMERICAN 

Price    25 

BOOK    OF    USEFUL    RECEIPTS, 

and   Manufacturers'  Culde.— f-y  ^"'-, 

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A  SCIENTIFIC  TREATISE  ON 
Stammering,  and    Stuttering,  and 

Its  cure. — We  have  here  this  Qilhcult  subject 
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THE    REAL   SECRET   ART   AND 

Plillosophy  of  WoP'",g»  Winning, 
and  Wedding.- &i'ow"'g,ii"W,i"ai"'--"fi'i-y 

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CHOICE  VERSES,  FOR, VALEN- 
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brations.  — '^o:iiuuiuig  ong.nal  a:urBClectea 
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THE  AMERICAN  REFERENCE- 
BOOK.— A  manual  oi  lacts  contanung  a  chron- 
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KEY  TO  COMPOSITION:  Qr,How 

to  Write  a  BoOk.-A  compete  guide  to  au- 
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GYMNASTICS,  WITHOUT    A 

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FORTUNE-TELLING  MADE  EASY 

or,  the  Dreamer's  Sure  Culde.-ii'is 

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FRENCH  IN  A  FORTN,ICHT,wlth- 

OUt  a  maSter.-A  royal  road  to  a  knowledge 
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INCIDENTS    OF.  AMERICAN 

CAMP- LIFE.— A  colliction  ot  traaic,  pathet- 
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OUR    KNOWLEDGE-BOX;    or,  old 

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oletiquette  lor  geutlemeu.     By  au  Aiuencau 
gentleman. 
LADIES' WORKBOX  COMPANION, 

A  handbook  of  knitting,  ii.  ttiiig,  tattiiiR,  and 
Berlin  work.    Containing  entirely  new  directions. 

THE   FIRESIDE  COMPANION. 

A  handbook  ol  games  for  eveiiiug  amusemeut. 
CHESSPLAYERS'  HANDBOOK. 

Cuntainjug  a  lull  hccouiit  ut  the  game  ol  chcba, 
and  the  best  niodt-  of  playing  it. 

HANDBOOK    OF   CONVERSATION 

AUD   TABLE-TALK. 

LADIES'  CROCHET  MANUAL. 

A  handbook  oi  crochi^t,  useful  and  ornamental. 
Containing  new  directions  for  making  collars, 
edg:ings,  caps,  polkas,  purses,  doyleys,  napkins,  ic. 

THE  MARRIAGE  LOOKING-GLASS 

A  Handbook  for  uenly  married  couples. 

No  person  should  enter  npon  fhe  duties  and 
joys  of  matrimony  v/ithout  taking  a  good  look 
u>to  this  telltale  mirror. 

HANDBOOK  OF  THE  TOILET 

Containing  Ample  Directions  for  adding  to  and  Prc- 
stTvin-,;  (lie  Beauty  of  the  Person, 
The  materials  of  this  Uttle  work  have  been 
earpfully  collected,  and  are  the  result  of  long  prnc- 
tical  experience,  and  can  not  fail  to  add  greatly  to 
the  beauty  of  the  person. 

HANDBOOK    OF    WHIST.-Coctalnin^ 

the  Laws  or  the  Game  as  laid  down  by  tlie  best 

authorities,  and   Coneise    llulcs   for  playing  at 

e»erv  stage  of  the  Game. 

In  these  paK"K  the  author  has  given,  in  a  clear 
and  concise  form,  all  the  instructions  that  are 
necessary  to  make  a  good  wliist-player. 

THE    LOVERS'    COMPANION. 

A  Handbook  of  Courtship  and  JIarrlage. 

THE    BALLROOM    COKiPANION. 

A  Handbook  for  the  Ballroom  and  evening  parlies. 

HOW  TO    SPEAK  AND  WRITE 

WITH  ELEGANCE  AXD  EASE. 
A  valuable  little  maniml  fur  the  use  of  readers, 
writers,  and  talkers.  It  shows  the  most  prevali'ut 
errors  that  inexperienced  p'Tsons  fall  into.  The 
examples  arc  made  extremely  plain  and  clear.  In 
every  case  the  correct  forms  are  given. 

HOWTO  PRONOUNCE  DIFFICULT 

WORD... 

There  are  few  persons  that  have  not  at  times 
been  in  doubt  r-specti'ig  the  true  pronunciation 
of  a  werd  they  desire  to  use.  This  uncertainty 
con  now  be  avoided.  By  the  aid  of  this  book  the 
hardest  words  or  most  difficult  terms  in  the  Eng- 
lish language  can  be  pronounced  with  ease  and 
abaolute  accuracy. 


SLANG  AND  VULGAR  PHRASES 
AND  FORMS. 

A  collection  of  objectionable  words,  inaccurate 
tenos,  barbarisms,  colloquialisms,  provincialisms, 
quaint  expressions,  cant  phrases,  perverFious  and 
misapplications  of  terms,  as  used  in  the  various 
States  of  the  Union. 

THE  FORTUNE-TELLER  AND 
DREAM-BOOK. 

OR,  THE    FUTUKE    UNFOLDED. 
Containing  plain,  correct,  and  certain  rules  for 
foretelling  what  is  going  to  happen.     By  tlie  cele- 
brated Gauriei.,  the  great  astrologer  of  tlie  nine- 
teenth century.    A  complete  oracle  of  destiny. 

HOWTO  LIVE  A  HUNDRED  YEARS 

A  practical  and  reliable  guide  to  health  and 
longevity.  With  plain  and  specific  instructions 
for  improving:  tlie  mcniorv,  making  it  reten- 
tive, capacious,  and  reliable.  The  rules  given  are 
the  result  of  years  of  attention  and  study  of  the 
subjict,  and  can  not  fail  to  make  a  bad  memory 
good,  and  a  good  memory  still  better. 

TERENCE   TIERNEY,  ADMIRAL. 

This  work,  by  the  celebrated  Banim,  has  re- 
ceivt  d  the  iiidrjrseiitcnt  of  bolii  press  and  people 
as  the  best  delineation  of  Irish  character,  in  its 
brighter  phases,  ever  pablisiied. 

THE    CABIN-BOY:   A  Tale  of  the 
Wide  Ocean.  ByCapt.  l.  c.  Kinoston. 

Since  the  advent  of  "  Kobinson  Crusoe,"  we  will 
venture  to  say  that  no  more  startling  narrative 
lias  been  issued  from  the  press  than  this  tale  oi 
the  wide  ocean,  by  a  well-known  and  popular  au- 
thor. It  is  charming,  fresh,  and  vigorous,  and  ia 
written  as  only  an  old  salt  could  write. 

THE  PEEP-O'-DAY  BOYS;  or.Wlld 

Life  on  the  R'iountalr.s.  iJ^  ^i-  Banul 
CAPTAIN    DOE,  THE    MOUNTAIN 

CHIEF.  Bv  .John  Basim. 
This  is  a  novel  which,  fc"  entrancing  interest, 
has  never  bien  surpassed.  The  marvelous  adven- 
tures of  Captain  Doe,  a*  once  the  terror  and  pride 
of  the  mountains,  are  detailed  in  Banim's  most 
charming  language.    By  all  means  get  this  book. 

CLERK  BARTON'S  CRIME;  or, the 
Adventures  of  a  Night,   a  Tale  of 

NewYork  Life,Higli  &.  Low.   By  Steele  Tknu. 

THE       SHOWMAN'S       GUIDE. 

This  book  ccuitains  most  of  the  marvejoua 
things  in  nnric-iit  niid    modern  maicic,  and 

is  the  textbook  for  all  showineu. 

HOW  TO  SEE    NEW  YORK    CITY, 

including  Conpy  Inland  and  RoekauiiylJenoh, 
with  Strt'ct  IHrectory  and  list  of  Chiirchc*, 
IlotclK,  Tln-ntiTs,  and  other  objects  of  iiitiTest 
Indispensable  to  any  one  visiting  tlie  Empire  City 

GUIDE  MAP  OF  NEWYORK  CITY. 

'oi-veniantly  folded  for  the  pocket. 


University  of  California 

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405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  tfiis  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


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